The College Years: Kaoru Hitachiin
by Spirit Saiga
Summary: With the members of the host club scattered across the globe for college, we take a look at the youngest twins time in the city by the bay. KaoruxOC
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

After the twins and Haruhi had graduated, the host club found half its members scattered across the world. Hikaru was studying design in France, Kyouya was at Harvard, and Kaoru had taken up residence in San Francisco to study business, while our four remaining members stayed in noble Japan to study at Ouran University.

This particular story revolves around Kaoru's time in the city by the bay and how he came to meet Kana.

0o0o0o0

Kaoru lived in a two bedroom condo. A professional decorator had come in before he even moved in a month ago, so the place looked like an effortless masterpiece with its modern furniture, dark woods, and simple color choices.

The condo was on the outer edges of the famous bay area city, and on a sunny day, like today, he has an unobstructed view of the ocean and the famous red arches of the Golden Gate Bridge. It was widely agreed that several people would kill for that kind of view.

Classes would start in a weeks' time at UC Berkeley where he was on a straightforward trajectory into their business school, and Kaoru had already found himself bored. Without his brother around, he found that going to the tourist death traps to be lonely and ultimately uneventful. He spent most of his days at home designing more outfits for his mother's Hitachiin brand name.

His mother was determined to make her sons suffer. At least that was how Kaoru saw it. She paid for the condo, but didn't hire a maid, personal chef, or chauffer. Kaoru was reduced to the perils of public transportation, cookbooks, and the otherwise normal essentials a middle class citizen had mastered by the age of ten. It took him a couple weeks to get used to taking a BART train.

It was at this very moment that Kaoru found his freezer void of frozen dinners. He came to the unfortunate conclusion that he would once again have to make his way to the store to get more food. The allowance his mother gave him allowed for one expensive meal a week. Budgeting was something that he wasn't used to and as much as this was a learning experience, he almost wished that he didn't have to worry about it at all.

Kaoru left the condo complex in search of a local supermarket, as it was called. Once inside he observed the rushed, tired, overworked mothers of small children quickly move through the store with a precision that made him think about professional sports. Everyone was unaware that they were in the presence of Fashion royalty, so no one came to help the college student with his shopping.

Being close friends with Haruhi, he had seen the commoner life before, but somehow this was very, very different. For one, American's were rude and impatient. Always putting themselves before others. As he stood in the entrance, he realized how little he knew about the commoner life. And now he was being forced to live it because he needed a 'reality check'. He could kill his mother if he didn't love her so much.

He grabbed a basket and headed for the frozen dinner section, trying his best to ignore the stares he received from the flirtatious teenage girls who were walking with their equally interested mothers. Yes, he was good looking, why was it worthy of a stop and shop.

As he loaded the portion controlled meals into the small basket, he felt a pair of eyes on him. His amber eyes locked onto a pair of lavender ones.

The eyes belonged to a girl his age. She had long black hair that fell around her shoulders. She stood in a knit grey dress and black high heeled studded boots. If Kaoru had to guess, he'd say half Japanese and half Italian. She was holding a basket of fresh produce, bread, and her other hand held a basket of milk and desserts. Looking at her, he knew she could cook. At least she had that under her belt.

"Might I suggest reading a cookbook?" she spoke. Her voice was light and gentle. It took Kaoru a moment to realize that she was speaking Japanese. "After all, the world would hate to see a famous Hitachiin get fat."

Just as soon as she spoke, she was gone. Walking towards the checkout, she was swallowed up by the mass of people and her small five-foot frame was lost. Kaoru stood in the middle of the frozen section mouth open. She knew who he was. If she knew than why hadn't she helped him? She obviously had life figured out.

0o0o0o0

Kaoru was flipping through the American TV channels as he contemplated a move to France when his doorbell rang. He got up off of the black couch and walked over to the door. Looking through the peephole, he couldn't see anything so he stepped back and thought for a minute about opening the door. The building security wasn't state of the art, but it did have a gate. He opened the door and found a tray of food resting on the floor. The meal was chicken with mash potatoes, and broccoli. Next to the plate sat a note.

Kaoru picked the tray up and brought it inside, closing the door with his foot. After locking his front door, he picked up the card and looked at it. He looked at the neat Japanese characters.

_So you don't get fat. Leave the dishes outside the door and I'll pick them up later. Enjoy. ^_^_

Kaoru entered his kitchen and picked up a fork out of one of the dark wood drawers. He tried to figure out who the mystery girl was while happily eating a meal that hadn't come in a package and didn't require a microwave.

0o0o0o0

What the young Hitachiin didn't know was that his mystery cook lived across the hall. She lived there with her brother who was a graphic designer. Their condo was neat and tidy, but a part of the living room had been sectioned off into a work station. A large wooden table was covered in bottles of book glue, old leather, and a book press. Sitting at the table carefully removing mold from an old book was Kaoru's mysterious cook.

She wore a pair of black rimmed glasses and her black hair had been pulled into a messy bun. She held a small balled up piece of white bread in a tight pinch and carefully rubbed it over a dark spot of a yellowed page. She smirked as the spot lessoned.

"Kana, have you seen my advertising poster for the back to school auction?" an older man asked. He was in his mid-twenties and had shaggy black hair.

Kana looked up from her work and looked around pushing her glasses up her nose. She pointed to a tall rolled up poster resting in the corner by the door. "It's right there. Don't forget to bring your back up drive with you tomorrow. I know how you tend to forget."

"Yeah, I know. You went to the store today?" the man asked.

"Yes, I didn't do any major shopping, just stuff we needed. I took a bit of our left over dinner to the boy across the hall."

"Why?" her brother asked.

"Because Riku," Kana sighed dropping the crumbling ball of bread into the trash by her feet as she turned on her stool to look at him. "I found him loading a basket full of frozen dinners. That's just screaming 'help me' right there. I couldn't help but take pity on the poor soul. He's here all alone while his twin is in France."

"How do you know so much about the Hitachiin twins?" Riku asked as he plopped down onto their red plush couch. He turned on the TV and Kana turned back to her book.

"Because I actually try to keep notified of things going on in Japan," she answered as she rolled her eyes.

"Why? We don't live there. Hell, we aren't welcome there. We never will be," Riku grunted. He looked at the recording they had stacked up. "Our grandparents made that perfectly clear when you were still a baby."

"Just because they don't want us, doesn't mean I can't be away from the place I was born. You as well, remember? We also have a perfectly great set of grandparents on dad's side. They're the ones that matter." Kana pushed the white cloth that the old book rested on away from her before she slipped off her stool. "Still, if we plan to be active in wealthy circles, we should know who the power players are."

"All right. I see your point. So what do you know about the Japanese fashion royalty?" Riku asked.

"Well it would appear that our fair city has been graced with the presence of the youngest twin Kaoru." Kana explained taking a seat next to Riku. She rolled her shoulders and yawned. "He's older than me by a week. Our mom grew up with their mom, but they never spoke again after the situation all those years ago. Kaoru and his brother, Hikaru, were part of a high school host club until they graduated last year. That's about as much as I know. Though I could find out more."

"A host club? I don't like the sounds of that," Riku stated slowly as he gave his sister a beady eyed stare.

"Relax, the whole brotherly love act was all a ruse," Kana smirked as she poked fun at her brother. "I think."

"What!"

Kana giggled taking the remote from Riku. "I wish I could say I was lying."

"Do you want to see gram and granddad this weekend?" Riku asked, abruptly changing the subject.

Kana leaned into her brother's shoulder. "Can we stop by mom and dad's grave too?"

Riku sighed and rested his head on Kana's. "Yeah."

0o0o0o0

Later that night Kana picked up the empty food tray. Kaoru wrote something on the card. Kana took the dishes to the kitchen and slipped them in the dish washer. She picked up the note with a small smile.

_Thank you. That was good. What's your name?_

Kana grabbed a piece of origami paper from her worktable and made a tiger. She grabbed the card and wrote carefully.

0o0o0o0

Kaoru opened his door and looked down. He picked up the tiger and note. He turned the note over to find the mystery girls response.

_I'm glad you liked it. You can find the recipe in any cookbook. Enjoy your new pet. –Kana_

"Who are you?" Kaoru asked. He looked at the small tiger and smiled.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two:

Kaoru was talking to his brother through Skype and telling him about his latest meal. The two had decided to talk once a week when they both realized that they would be going to separate schools. This was to ensure that their relationship as brothers stayed intact, not that they doubted it would fall apart. Classes had started and Kaoru was getting two mystery meals a week.

"So have you heard from the mysterious Kana?" Hikaru asked. A small smirk played at his lips as he leaned towards the webcam.

"She made a lemon chicken rice soup this time. She's started including printouts of the recipes," Kaoru grumbled and he picked up a small recipe card. He looked at the note that sat next to his computer. "She said I need a hint."

Hikaru and Kaoru found most of their discussion geared towards the mysterious Kana. If only because they didn't know much about her. "What did the note say today?" Hikaru asked leaning into his hand.

Kaoru picked up the latest note and read it aloud. "You still don't know where I live? Kaoru, Kaoru, Kaoru. I thought we had something special." He dropped the card and looked at the screen with a bland look of boredom.

Kana's notes had taken on a playful tone. She obviously knew who he was, but Kaoru still had no clue who she was or where she was from. He had yet to find out anything about her, which put him at a large disadvantage.

She had been leaving meals at his door for three weeks, and on the third dinner a challenge was issued. _If you can find out where I live, then I'll make dinner for you every night.-Kana ._

"What do you know about her?" Hikaru asked. His brother was determined to drag him into the mystery, even with the time difference. Hikaru yawned and shook away the sleep.

"She has black hair, lavender eyes, and she's as tall as Haruhi. She's a good cook. She made me fresh sushi a couple days ago. She had nice handwriting. And she lives somewhere in this building," Kaoru listed out what he knew, which wasn't a lot to begin with. "She likes origami."

"How many condos are on your floor?" Hikaru questioned as he worked on a small design for

"Four, next to me is some rich old couple, they don't talk to me. In one of the condo's across the hall is a guy in his twenties. I see him leave every once in a while with a bunch of folders or document tubes.

"Try and find out who's in the other condo," Hikaru stated. "How are your classes?"

"Boring so far," Kaoru groaned. Why did he have to attend simplistic business classes? His mom and dad had drilled business knowledge into his pretty little head when he was still a child.

The doorbell rang and Kaoru shot up. Leaving Hikaru to snicker. He ran to the door only to find that he was too slow. He bent down and picked up an origami box and another note.

_Are you even playing anymore? I'll give you a hint. I don't live alone. Good luck! –Kana_

Kaoru moved back to his seat in front of the computer and looked at the box. He lifted it up only to find that there was something weighing it down.

"What did she give you this time?" Hikaru asked curiously. Kaoru opened the box and found a simple silver key, much like the one to his own condo. "She gave me a key and a box. She said she doesn't live alone."

"A key?" Hikaru perked up slightly. Things had just gotten interesting.

"Kaoru held the metal object up to the webcam built into his sleek computer. "Do you think it's to her place?"

"Maybe. She's weird. You shouldn't associate with her," Hikaru said.

"But, she'll make me dinner every night," Kaoru whined. He didn't want to learn how to cook. It was a hassle.

"Then go and find her," Hikaru grunted. "Decide what you want to do. I have to get ready for the day, so I'll talk to you later."

"It's morning in Paris, right?"

Hikaru looked at his brother through the screen. "Either go to bed, or find a way to locate the mysterious Kana. We'll talk later."

Kaoru looked at the small key and then to his clock. He said goodbye to his brother and turned off the laptop.

0o0o0o0

Kana was lying in her bedroom and tossing a spiked paper ball in the air when Riku came in and sat down on the edge of her mattress. "So, the fashion prince needed a hint?" he asked.

Kana sat up. Her grey hoodie was pushed up to her elbows and her plaid baggy pajama bottoms seemed more suited to a guy. "Nope, but I gave him a key to the condo. I taped a note on the wall across from the door."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Riku asked.

"He's rich, not some creepy burglar. The worst he's going to do is search through our closets. Plus my classes for tomorrow were cancelled. My interior design teacher had her baby yesterday, and my art history professor is sick. I'm home all day." She sat up and adjusted her "California Berkeley" sweater and sighed.

"All right. I have to go to the studio early tomorrow, have a good day, and try and get some homework done." Riku said as he shook his head.

Kana looked at him and blinked. "It's already done."

Riku stood up and laughed. "You're going to take the Johnson's book back to them soon, right?"

Kana nodded. "I have to let the binding sit overnight, but yeah, I'll be giving it back to them soon," she explained. "I can't disappoint my best customers, now can I?"

"You do amazing work. I don't see why you didn't go to Harvard's Conservation program and instead chose Berkeley's English degree."

"I like restoring books and I want to do that with my life, but if I'm going to take over mother's company, I need to know what the hell I'm doing. I need to know what great interior design is if I'm going to hire new designers for the Venice and Beijing offices. Hence Berkeley's extension program in Interior design. The English degree is because I like books."

Riku shook his head again and looked to the ceiling as if asking God why he had a little sister. "All right. Good night Kana."

"Good night Riku-niisan."

"Sleep well," Riku smiled gently.

"You too."

Kana waited for her brother to leave before dropping the paper ball onto the shelf of her headboard. She crawled under her covers and turned off the bedside lamp.

0o0o0o0

The next morning Kaoru stood outside the condo of the young man in his twenties. He held the mysterious key in his right hand. Finally gaining the courage to try the lock, he stuck the key in and turned it quickly. The door opened and Kaoru let out a sigh of relief. He found a manila envelope directly across the room taped to the wall. His name had been written in a thick red marker. He walked over and pulled the envelope off the wall and pulled the contents out.

_Good job Kaoru! Welcome to my humble abode. Looks like I'll be making you dinner while you're here in the states. But don't think that there aren't any rules. They're quite simple really._

_I will be providing you with a shopping list each week. You have to buy the ingredients yourself. Maybe this will help you with your inability to shop in our supermarkets. _

_You have to make me dinner at least once this school year. It only seems fair that you make me ONE dinner, when I'll be making you dinner every night._

_You can NOT tell your mother about me, or our arrangement. If you break this rule, the dinners and communication will cease. _

_See you tonight at six o'clock. There's a grocery list on the back. Try not to mess this simple trip up. –Kana._

Kaoru looked around the condo and spotted the work table. He found a leather bound book being held up by clamps. He decided to peak into the room just to the left of the work table. He opened the door slowly and poked his head in tentatively. He pulled his head back out a second later, his heart racing.

After a minute he opened the door fully and entered the room to gain a better look at the sleeping Kana. The room was excellently decorated with tones of reds and dark gold's. The furniture was a dark wood. There was a desk below a window that looked out on the city skyline. A couple of bookshelves crammed with several novels. Kana's bed was a queen size and had dark red quilt pulled over Kaoru's sleeping cook.

Asleep, she looked calm and serene, but Kaoru knew that she was playful and mischievous. An idea popped into his head and he gained a Cheshire cat grin. He slid carefully onto the open portion of the bed and picked up a book that sat on her nightstand.

An hour later Kana woke up and shrieked. Kaoru turned his head to look at her. "Good morning."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

Kana jumped out of her bed and stared at the guy that was in it. "What the hell!" she screamed as she grabbed backed up against her desk. This was not the kind of wakeup call she wanted in the morning.

Kaoru sat up and looked at the book in his hands. "Interesting book," he said casually.

Kana put her hands on her hips. "Is there a reason you're in my bed!"

"The main character's a little boring though," Kaoru continued ignoring the fury of the woman in front of him.

Kana turned around and grabbed a stuffed dog from her bookshelf and threw it roughly at him. The stuffed animal hit him in the head and knocked his balance out of whack, sending the fashion royalty toppling over onto the ground. Kana's eyes widened in shock and she crawled over the bed and dropped onto the floor in front of him.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't think you would fall over," she stated frantically. She moved to touch him but pulled her hands away at the last second lest he be injured. "I just wanted you to answer my question."

Kaoru smirked and quickly turned as he pushed himself up and moved forward. Kana back up and fell on her back. Kaoru moved so that he was on top of her. He leaned forward so that his mouth was by her ear. "I found you," he whispered. His lips curved into another smirk. "What's the matter, can't take being teased?"

Kana frowned and shoved Kaoru off of her roughly, backing up to the other side of the room. "Give me my house key back!" she ordered firmly holding out a stiff open palm.

Kaoru sat up and laughed. "There's not need to be rough."

Kana shook her hand a little bit. "My. Key." She glared at him as she stood up.

Kaoru looked at Kana in the eyes. "First you have to answer some questions."

"I can kick you out. Don't think that I won't," Kana threatened as she took a couple steps towards him.

Kaoru smirked. "I still have a key to your house," he said shaking the key in his hand.

Kana took a deep breath and puffed out her cheeks before letting out a slow breath. "Fine," she grunted crossing her arms. "Ask away."

"Who are you?"

"My name is Kana Tolemei," she sighed. "I go to Berkeley."

"Tolemei?" Kaoru asked.

"It's Italian."

Kaoru nodded as he mentally formed the last name. It seemed familiar. "How did you know who I was?"

Kana snorted and rested against her bookcase. "It wasn't that hard, your name is on the mailboxes of the first floor. It kind of helps that I'm a Japanese citizen too."

Kaoru paused. So she spoke Japanese naturally. "Why can't I tell my mother about you?"

"That's for me to know and you to never find out," Kana looked at him, raising a challenging eyebrow. "Are you done?"

Kaoru stood up and offered Kana her key back. "Here you go."

Kana wrapped her fingers over the key. "Great, now can you please leave so that I can get dressed?"

Kaoru blushed slightly and left. He looked around the living room and walked over to a picture of a little girl in between a set of twins. Behind them were an older couple and an older guy. Like Kana everyone had black hair, but their eyes were blue.

"You're quite the curious cat," Kana spoke from behind him a couple minutes later.

He turned to face her "Who are the twins in the picture? The girl's you." He asked.

Kana leaned against the wall. "My fellow triplets," she answered. She was in a pair of blue jean shorts and a tan and brown striped light weight sweater. "The one on the right is Kairi, and the one of the left is Kenji."

"Where are they?" Karou asked. The condo they were in only had two bedrooms.

"Kenji is studying to become a wine maker at UC Davis. He lives in the dorms. Kairi is studying business at Stanford and he is also living in the dorms."

"Wine making?"

"You seriously don't know who my grandfather is, do you?" Kana asked. She gained her playful smirk again.

Kaoru thought about it. Tolemei. Where had he heard that name before? He stared at Kana when he found his answered.

"Your grandfather is the head of the Tolemei Wine Company. His vino is my mother's favorite."

_Gee, I wonder why._ Kana thought. She nodded. "My dad was supposed to take over the company, but he died before he could. So, Kenji is taking his place as the wine master, and Kairi will be taking grandfather's place as the businessman. The two are going to work very hard so that they can take Tolemei Vineyards to new heights."

"What about you?" Kaoru asked. Surely there was a spot for her in the company.

Kana looked at the ground. "My goals lay in a different family business."

"What company?"

Kana looked up at him and shook her head. "I have things to do, and I'm sure you do too," She said. "Go shopping."

Kaoru frowned. She wasn't very forthcoming about her life. She knew a lot about him, but he only knew a little bit about her grandfather's company. Alfredo Tolemei was married and owned wineries in Napa, France, and Italy. He stopped to think about Alfredo's wife. She was a well know art preservationist.

He watched Kana pulled the old book from its clamps delicately. "You're following your grandmother's footsteps."

"Sort of," Kana answered without looking away from the care she was putting into placing the book in a decorative cardboard box. "Grandmother works on paintings. My area of expertise is in books. However, restoration isn't my job. I run my mother's company with the help of my father's parents."

"When did you parents die?" Kaoru asked.

Kana picked up a simple framed picture of her parents. It always rested on the table. "Six years ago. It was a car accident."

"And what did your mother do?"

"Interior design," Kana smiled as she set down the picture. "She took Dream Design to six different countries."

"Dream Design?" Kaoru yelped. "Your mother was the one who started it all?"

Kana nodded. "She started a company that hires promising interior designers who can decorate for the Average Jane and the Corporate Yuppies. We once did the palace of the Maharaja," she explained. "When I graduate from Berkeley, I will take over my mother's company completely."

"My mom had Dream Design do my condo and my brothers in France."

Kana smirked. "I know," she said. "I oversaw both projects as they were being completed in June," she said as she walked towards the front door. She held the cardboard box carefully. "Look, I've got to get this book to Sonoma. That means you need to leave, so that I can as well."

"Can I come?" Kaoru asked hopefully.

"Don't you have classes to go to?" Kana asked slowly.

"Not until after lunch," Kaoru answered.

Kana opened her front door. "I gave you a shopping list. Why don't you get that out of the way? Sonoma's kind of far from here."

"For someone who has been teasing me for three weeks, you sure want to get rid of me," Kaoru stated crossing his arms.

"It's nothing personal Ka-Hitachiin," Kana said stopping herself from using his given name. "I've just had this book for far longer than I should have. It's a family Bible and it should be returned to its owners."

Kaoru smirked. She had almost called him by his given name. "Fine, I'll get the shopping done," he said with an air of nonchalance. "You can call me Kaoru, but only if I get to call you Kana."

0o0o0o0

That night Kana stood in Kaoru's kitchen as he was working on some homework. The doorbell rang and Kaoru looked that the door in surprise.

"You can answer it you know," Kana said dully as she cut away at some beef. "It's my brother Riku."

Kaoru stood up and answered the door and Riku came in uninvited. He stood a full head taller than the youngest twin, so Kaoru found him a bit intimidating.

"So here's the deal," he said. "If Kana is going to make you dinner, then you have to deal with eating dinner with the two of us."

"Riku," Kana scolded. "Be nice. If we do that, then we should be splitting the cost of groceries."

Kaoru looked at the light hearted exchange between brother and sister and smiled. At least he wouldn't be eating dinner alone anymore.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four:

Kaoru was walking towards his condo when he found Kana leaving her home. She looked up and grinned. Kaoru smiled back. He tried to find something to compliment, unfortunately Kana's outfit today wasn't the best, so that possibility went out the window.

Kana was in rather tattered looking pair of ripped jeans, a loose fitting flannel shirt. Her hair had been pulled into a quick bun and her glasses were hanging on the edge of her nose. She was trying to slip an iPad into her shoulder bag but was struggling to push things out of the way as she did it.

"Where are you going?" Kaoru asked as he paused by his door. He dug into his backpack and pulled out his house keys.

"I'm headed to a small pizza dinner with a friend," Kana said. "It's in Berkeley, so I need to get going."

"But what about my dinner?" Kaoru asked.

"It's in your fridge, just put it in the microwave for two minutes and it will be great," Kana said as she dropped her keys into her own bag and closed the flap. She buckled the bag closed and turned to walk away.

"Can't I come with you?" Kaoru whined. He hated using the microwave.

"Most certainly not," Kana laughed as she pushed her glasses up her nose. "Private dinner and you would be bored. We're only going to be talking about books." She turned again to walk and held up a hand in a wave.

Kaoru sighed. It was best not to push Kana. She could stop making him dinner. "All right."

As Kana was about to enter the elevator, Kaoru moved in front of her. He felt just the slightest bit puckish and that part of him was not about to be denied the perfect opportunity to tease and mess with Kana. "Who are you going to see?"

Kana tried to move around him, but he clocked her path. "Kaoru, stop being childish. Jason is a fellow bibliophile. We both took the bookbinding classes here in San Francisco."

Kaoru stopped. "Is he your boyfriend?" he asked feeling kind of hurt, though he couldn't really place why he felt that way. They had been eating dinner together for a while and he hadn't heard anything about a boyfriend.

"No, he's gay. Now I really have to go," Kana sighed. "I'm going to miss my BART train now," Kana sighed. She ditched the elevator and made her way to the stairwell. She was grumbling to herself the entire way.

Kaoru looked at the mail in his hand and pulled TIME out of the stack of fashion magazines. His mother had made him set up a subscription to TIME and he still wasn't entirely sure why. He was surprised to find Kana and her brothers on the front cover. _The Future Major Business Leaders: A look into some of the youth that run the leading companies of today._

Kaoru flipped though the magazine and found the article he was looking for. He smiled when he saw that Tamaki was also a featured leader.

The article itself was a series of bios for young entrepreneurs who had some control over a large companies that served the people.

_The Tolemei Children are possibly the epitome of young entrepreneurs. With Riku Tolemei running his own advertising company, he's the oldest at twenty-four. The triplets also have stakes in their own areas. Kenji and Kairi Tolemei the oldest of the triplets are assisting their grandparents with the Tolemei Vineyards, while their sister Kana handles most of Dream Designs affairs. It's hard to believe that the triplets will be nineteen this upcoming June. The triplets are reported to take full control of their respective companies at the age of twenty-one. All companies run by the Tolemei family contribute millions in revenue to the charities that their parents set up before their death six years ago._

Kaoru sat down on his couch. When talking with Kyoya the other day, he discovered the Tolemei family had similar social circles to that of the Host Clubs. However, the Tolemei children only associated with their Italian grandparents, and no one was really sure why. Even Kyoya didn't know and that was saying a lot.

0o0o0o0

The next day Kaoru decided that he was going to find out about his neighbor. Kaoru waited for her to come back from her Interior Design class.

Kana came walking down the hall at a quarter to three. She smiled. "Hey Kaoru."

"Can I ask you something?" Kaoru asked.

"Depends," Kana stopped in front of her door and rummaged through her bag to find her keys. "What about?" She didn't meet his gaze as she continued to dig through her bag. She pulled out a sketchbook and grumbled slightly.

"Your family," Kaoru asked.

"No!" Kana said quickly looking up. She looked afraid as she shook her head rapidly. "Do not ask me about my family. You will hit a wall, so just leave it alone." She tugged at a lanyard and keys popped out of her bag with a jingle.

"Why?" Kaoru asked. He was kind of hurt again, but Kana's unwillingness to share something about herself was really starting to get on his nerves. Why was did he have to keep a secret, why was she a secret herself. Kana was his friend and they'd been honest with each other. At least for the most part. But wasn't withholding information a sign of distrust.

Kana reached out and placed a hand on his cheek, rubbing her thumb against it. "Please Kaoru. I need you to leave my family alone. It's extremely complicated, and you can't get involved," she said quietly. She pulled her hand away and stepped back. "You'll get hurt if you do get involved, and I like you too much to see that happen."

Kana turned to her door and quickly unlocked it before she ducked inside before Kaoru could say something. "I'm sorry," she said before closing the door.

Kaoru stood in the hall wondering why her family was an untouchable topic. Why could he end up hurt if he got involved? He didn't think her family had any mob connection. Was there still an Italian mob? We they like the Yakuza? He entered his own home and walked over to his computer. He sent an email to the Host Club.

_Guys,_

_Could you ask your parents what they know about the Tolemei family?_

_Kaoru_

Ten minutes later he got a reply form Kyoya.

_Your mother might know more than our families. Your friend's mother was a world class designer just like your mom. It's likely they've met before. As far as I can tell, Kana Tolemei hasn't stepped foot in Japan since her parents moved to California._

That was a problem. Kana made it perfectly clear that any mention of the Tolemei family to his mom would forfeit his right to home cooked meal and possibly terminate his friendship with her.

Kaoru sighed. Kana was a friend, and he would have to respect her wishes. At least for the time being. Even if the curious cat living in him wouldn't leave it alone, he wouldn't ask Kana about it anymore. He opened his backpack and pulled out flier for a Halloween party taking place in a few weeks. He smiled and stood up. The young Hitachiin had been struck with a brilliant idea.

Kana opened her front door a minute later. "What do you want Kaoru," she asked tiredly.

"There's a Halloween Ball at a hotel here in The City," San Francisco was always 'The City'. He learned this pretty quickly. It wasn't San Fran, it was The City. He held out the flier for her to look at. "Do you want to go with me?"

Kana took the sheet and looked it over. "I can't," she said simply before handing it back to him.

"Why not?" Kaoru asked stubbornly, a pout playing at his lips.

"I have nothing to wear to a masquerade ball," Kana answered.

Kaoru smiled. "Let me handle that part!" he stated, grabbing the girls complete attention. "What's your favorite animal?"

Kana blinked. "Why?" she asked slowly.

"Just answer," Kaoru said excitedly.

"A wolf. Grey Wolf," Kana answered.

"Okay," Kaoru grinned. "I'll handle everything."

Kana eyed her friend suspiciously. "If you make me look like a fool, I will kill you."

Kaoru leaned forward with a wide smirk. Kana bent back to avoid his closeness. "I make no promises," he whispered before he disappeared back into his own condo.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five:

Kaoru was walking away from his economics class with a smile on his face. The dress that he was making for his mother's company was company was coming together nicely. He had spent most of the lecture in the back of the lecture hall searching for the right fabrics to finish off the dress, and he even managed to order some fabric that he just knew he would end up using. He only hoped that his mother liked it. He didn't want to disappoint her. He thought about Kana's dress and how he had yet to come up with a design that would work. A small part of him had to admit that the entire thought of making Kana look like a fool was something that should be considered. However, his mother wouldn't hear of it.

If she ever found out.

Kaoru wanted to tell his mom about Kana, but Kana was a friend with relatively simple requests. He couldn't betray her trust just like that. Kaoru Hitachiin was always loyal to his friends. It was something he prided himself on, and he wasn't going to turn his back on that one ideal now.

Kaoru turned around when someone called his name. He mentally groaned when he realized that he should have kept going.

Jasmine Chevalier was extremely clingy and most certainly annoying. Her hair was a light blond and her head only carried enough intelligence to hire someone else to write her college level essays. She wasn't quite smart enough to not tell her friends though, so everyone but the professors knew.

"_Kaoru, I'm so glad I caught you,"_ Jasmine smiled.

She walked with him and smiled prettily. "_Are you going to the Halloween party a couple weeks from now?"_

"_Yes,_" Kaoru answered. He didn't like where this was going. A sinking feeling settled in the pit of his stomach as she fluttered her long fake eyelashes at him. He quickly thought about how to turn the girl down while also maintaining his charming demeanor. He slipped into his Host Club personality and smiled genially.

"_Maybe, you and I,"_ Jasmine started slowly as she moved closer to Kaoru only to have him stiffen up and take a step away. "_Could go together…"_

Kaoru's eyes widened not only by her proximity, but by the audacious smell of her perfume. He felt his pocket vibrate as his phone began to ring. He smiled as he pulled his phone out. It was Kana's ringtone. "_Excuse me,_" he said to Jasmine as he answered the call. He used this to step back a little bit. "Hey friend."

"You didn't buy food," Kana stated aggravated. "You're supposed to buy food if you want me to make dinner for you."

"We'll go out tonight. I'll pay," Kaoru smiled. He'd been meaning to get Kana out in public for a couple weeks. She always came home and cooked. It was a conscious decision to not buy food for today. He had a little extra money in his food budget so he wanted a nice meal out.

There was a pause on the line and Kaoru pictured Kana debating the offer with her tongue poking the inside of her cheek. "Just the two of us?" she asked carefully.

"Well your brother is on some sort of business trip in Vegas isn't he?" Kaoru asked. Even if he did know what the answer would be. He was careful not to say names in front of Jasmine. A little mystery never hurt anyone.

"Yes," Kana said slowly.

"Then it has to be the two of us," Kaoru grinned as he looked at Jasmine. "Come on, I thought you were smarter than that. Don't tell me you're afraid of going out to dinner with me."

"Fine, but I get to pick the place," Kana stated. "Expect payback for that statement, rude boy."

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," Kaoru grinned.

"Have you spoken to your brother?" Kana asked trying to change the subject.

"Yesterday. He started making a new dress. I think it's for the girl he met in Paris."

"Faye Bennett?" Kana asked.

"That's her." Kaoru was a little surprised by this. He had mentioned Faye once to Kana, and that was all. It had been a vague mention and he didn't even say the girl's last name. "How did you remember?"

"The girls been through enough already with the entire ordeal in Canada and now she's caught the interest of your brother," Kana groaned. "Please tell me that he's not stalking her or anything."

"What are you talking about?" Kaoru asked. Kana was smart, but the young Hitachiin had to wonder what else she knew about her brother's affairs in the City of Romance. He listened as Kana talked to someone else in the room.

"Kaoru, I have to go," Kana spoke suddenly. "I'll see you at seven."

Kaoru hung up and looked at Jasmine. "_Sorry, I had to take the call. That was a special friend. We're having dinner together. We're going to plan out our outfits for the dance. I will have to decline your offer to go with you," _Kaoru explained as he smiled apologetically. "_I'm very sorry_."

Jasmine frowned. Her mother would not be pleased. It seemed like some other woman had Kaoru wrapped around her finger. This was something the blond couldn't understand. No one turned down Jasmine Chevalier. She was the prettiest girl on campus. She wondered if Kaoru and this girl were only friends, but it seemed unlikely. You don't stop a conversation to answer a phone call unless it's someone important. Jasmine was going to find out who this woman was, and she was going to find out exactly what she was to Kaoru Hitachiin.

0o0o0o0

Kaoru stood in his bedroom looking at the mannequin he had set up. Kana wasn't into frilly or overtly girly clothing, so he had to make something simple and elegant. First he would have to ask her some questions though. He couldn't make something she would hate. No, whatever Kaoru created would ultimately have to scream 'Kana'.

His doorbell rang, and Kaoru decided to quit his thoughts of measurements, designs, and fabric aside. Although he knew it would come back the minute he started questioning Kana.

He opened his door to find Kana standing in the hall. She was looking at something on her phone while Kaoru took a moment to wonder what she was wearing. She was in a black pencil skirt, a baby blue button up top, black satin vest, and three inch black peep toe shoes. Her long black hair had been pulled into a tight bun. She looked at him over the rim of her glasses.

_Madam librarian?_ Kaoru thought. "You look nice."

"I had to go meet some clients," Kana said by way of explanation. "Not only do they want Dream Design to decorate their house, they gave me a book to restore. I feel the need to celebrate tonight."

"Where are we going?" Kaoru asked. He wasn't sure what 'celebrating' meant to Kana.

"Sonoma," Kana smiled as she held up a set of car keys. "I've got Riku's car while he's away. Grab your wallet and let's head out."

Kaoru smiled as he walked over to his kitchen and swiped the wallet off of the polished countertop. "Is this place any good?" he asked. Sonoma had some really nice restaurants, as well as one of Tolemei's vineyards.

"The chef is a good friend of the Tolemei family. I've been eating his food since I was a little girl."

0o0o0o0

_California Nuveau_ was a gourmet restaurant located in the Tolemei's Sonoma Vineyard. It served modern classics with twist. Kana's favorite comfort food could only be made at the restaurant.

Kaoru looked around as Kana walked ahead of him. "You didn't tell me that we were going to your family's vineyard," he said.

Kana grinned as she looked at his awe struck face. Most people looked like that. Tolemei vineyards were designed to look like the wineries in Tuscany. This particular winery had been in Sonoma for forty years, while the ones they owned in Italy were closer to three hundred years. No one knew wine better than the Tolemei's. "It was supposed to be a surprise," she said. "Chef Carry makes some brilliant dishes, and I wanted to share them with you. He's been cooking here since it opened forty years."

Kana entered a patio and sat down at a small table that was set on a raised platform and overlooked the vines. "This is the table my grandparents always use when they come to eat here." Kaoru took a seat across from her as she placed her napkin in her lap. "I suggest you try the roasted quail. It's one of the restaurant's specialties."

"So your family owns restaurants too?"

Kana shook her head. "Well, sort of… We physically own the restaurant, but Chef Carry has an arrangement with my grandparents that allows him seventy-five percent of the profits. My grandfather would have gone with ten percent, but Chef Carry wouldn't hear of it. All our vineyards have similar arrangements with the chefs. They use our wines on their menu. It's a win-win situation for us. The restaurant draws people in, and they buy wine as they walk out."

Kaoru nodded in understanding. A large majority of their wine was expensive, and they sold a good amount, so they didn't need a large profit from the restaurant to stay in business. It certainly helped though. The Tolemei family knew the finer points of the wine business and ultimately it was what set them apart from the rest. They cared about the quality of their wines, and they still cranked out a huge production.

A half hour later Kana and Kaoru were eating the roasted quail quietly. Kaoru looked up and watched as Kana looked around with a serene smile on her face. It was time to start planning her dress. "What kind of colors do you like?" he asked.

"Is this about the Halloween ball?" Kana dodged the question with one of her own. She took a bite of her risotto and raised an eyebrow.

Kaoru nodded. "I think you would look good in blues, but what do you like. I might be able to incorporate it into a design." He had seen her in blue and it made her eyes stand out even more.

"I prefer blacks, whites, and greys when it comes to dresses. Do you need me to pick an animal too for the mask?" she asked with a twinkle in her lavender eyes.

Kaoru nodded. "You said you like dogs."

"A wolf. Also the mask needs to cover most of my face, or I won't go," Kana said pointing the tip of her fork at him.

"Why?"

Kana intrigued the youngest Hitachiin with her requests for anonymity. He suspected this had something to do with his mom not knowing about her. Kaoru had yet to tell his mom about her, and he wondered if he ever would. Kana was jumpy when it came to his mother. She froze up any time Kaoru mentioned Yuzuha Hitachiin, and she would find a way to quickly change the subject.

"I don't need people taking pictures of the two of us and creating stories. Believe me; it would be bad for both of us."

"'Youngest Hitachiin seen with mystery wolf girl' sounds so much better than 'Youngest Tolemei Triplet hooks up with youngest Hitachiin twin'," Kaoru said saracastically. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I should probably tell you something." He added when he was reminded of Jasmine.

Kana looked at him curiously as she chewed her food. "Oh?" she asked after she swallowed.

"I kind of told Jasmine Chevalier that you were my date for the ball," Kaoru said as he pushed his food around on his plate.

"Kind of?" Kana gulped. It was well known in the elite circles that a The Chevalier Girls (Jasmine and Ariel) could not keep a secret, and they picked terrible people to associate with. "Kaoru, if your mother finds out about us, then my dinner making duties are over, and I'll be moving. Again! This means I'll never speak to you again, and a new school. I just started!"

"Why is that?" Kaoru asked as he temper grew. Why was this secret so complicated that if his mom found out, Kana would have to move? "It's not like I gave her your name!"

"You wouldn't understand. It's just best that your mother not know we're friends," Kana shook her head. Her eyes held a mixture of sadness and fear. "I'm looking out for both of us."

"Why!" Kaoru shouted drawing the attention of the other patrons. "Why can't I tell my mom about us?"

"Our companies will both suffer," Kana yelled back. "Deal with it, or find someone else to be your toy!"

Kana stood up and walked away from the red head. Kaoru threw his napkin on the table and marched after her. "What do you mean our companies will suffer? What are you afraid of?"

Kana didn't look at him as she clenched her fists. "Kaoru back off," she ordered darkly. She made her way towards the fields, away from prying eyes and cameras. She was about to cry. She pulled her high heels off as she walked. It took a couple years of practice, but fleeing in bare feet was better than trying to run in heels. Becoming friends with a Hitachiin was a mistake, and if his mom found out…

"No, tell me what's going on?" Kaoru grabbed her arm.

As Kana turned; she lost her footing and slipped down a small hill. As she fell on her back, Kaoru fell on top of her.

"Get off of me!" she yelped. She dropped her shoes and pounded on her friend's thighs in a futile attempt to get him off of her.

"No," Kaoru was going to get an answer from her. "Why will our companies suffer if my mom knows about us?" He held himself up by planting his hands on the ground right above Kana's shoulders.

"It's my grandparents. They disowned my mom after she got pregnant with Riku. She didn't marry the man they wanted her too. She married an Italian," Kana said.

"Why is my mom involved?" Kaoru pressed as the Kana's lavender eyes began to tear up. She didn't look at Kaoru and he wanted yell in irritation.

"Hitachiin Fashion was supposed to be a branch of Dream Design!" Kana shouted. "Kaoru, please get off of me," she pleaded.

Kaoru's thought came to a screeching halt. A joint fashion and interior design company under one name. Exactly how close were their mothers?


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six:

Kaoru sat in an elegant living room. After confronting Kana at the vineyard's restaurant, the two of them had moved to the Tolemei family home that was on the grounds. The house was classic Italian architecture. The walls were draped with vines as they cracked and yellowed to show their age. If the house was on a tour, he would have likely found out that the house was once home to a wealthy Mexican general or something like that.

Kana left the younger Hitachiin twin in the living room while she talked with her grandparents. Kaoru could hear the muffled argument behind the closed doors to his left and he rubbed his cheek to chase away the tiredness that pulled at him. Falling down a dirt hill and arguing with Kana had done him in. He even had to steal a pair of pants and a shirt from Kenji's room. Kana had picket out tan slacks and a purple polo.

The living room was filled with comfortable, faded, plush furniture. Kaoru had already deemed them near antique and could probably name the designer if he really wanted to. Smells of fresh Italian ziti came floating into the room, and Kaoru was fairly certain that falling asleep in his chair wouldn't be a problem. This house was filled with comfort, and memories. He had heard Kana say that it was her parent's home before they passed.

As the grandfather clock tick tocked every passing second, Kaoru grew more and more anxious. He knew now that the past played a large part in the present. Specifically, it effected how Kana and Kaoru interacted, and it could possibly change the way they acted in the future. If what she said was true there were things that even his mother hadn't told him, which only seemed to make his list of questions grow.

Kaoru stood up and walked over to the large fireplace. He looked at the framed photos that sat on the mantle. Some were professional shots of Kana and her family. Other photos were candid shots like the ones in Kana's house. At the edge of the mantle a colorful mosaic frame caught his eye.

Two teenagers stood on a boat off the coast of Italy. He could tell from the architecture in the background. The Kaoru's eyes widened when he recognized one of the women in the photo was his mother. Kaoru picked the photo up and looked at it more closely. The second teenager was a younger version of the many photos he had seen of Kana's mother.

Kaoru looked up when he heard the door open. He looked up and found an older man standing by the door. He was in a t-shirt and jeans. It was a simple look, but for some reason the older gentleman made it look extraordinarily exceptional.

"Hello Kaoru," he smiled gently. He was tall, and his full head of hair had only begun to grey even if he was in his early sixties. His blue eyes twinkled in kindness. "My name is Alfredo Tolemei. I'm Kana's grandfather. She's just working on something with my wife. Company business."

"It's nice to meet you," Kaoru said quickly. He held up the photo. "Kana's mom and my mom were friends."

"My son too," Alfredo smiled. "He took that photo of your mom and Akane. They all spent Golden Week at our vineyard in Italy. I believe that was their senior year of high school."

"Kana said mom and her mother were supposed to start a company together," Kaoru said as he put the photo back on the mantle. He adjusted it so that it stood exactly as it was before he picked it up.

"It's true," Alfredo nodded. "Your mom and Akane were best friends growing up. Dream Design was their dream, and unfortunately, that dream was shattered."

"But Dream Design exists," Kaoru stated confused. If the company was standing, then how was the dream shattered?

"Dream Design was supposed to be three companies in one. Fashion, Interior, and Advertisement. Three equal heads of the company. Yuzuha loved to design clothes, and Akane always had a knack for decorating. They wanted to work together to make people happy through design. To help a person's dreams come true."

"Who was the third head?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"My son, David," Alfredo smiled. "He was going to sit at the head of the Tolemei Wine Company, but he wanted to help Akane and Yuzuha, too."

"So, what happened?" Kaoru asked. Obviously something happened and Kana's mother never had a joint project with his mother.

"Akane was supposed to marry someone, but didn't want to. She fell in love with David, and her parents didn't like that. She left her fiancé at the altar," Alfredo answered. He smiled sadly. "After that, her parents cut her off and disowned her. They told your mother that if she wanted her fashion company to thrive, she had to stop talking to Akane."

"They threatened my mom?" Kaoru asked. He couldn't imagine anyone doing that. The Hitachiin family was strong, and Yuzuha was known for never backing down. She didn't do anything unless she wanted to. Did his mom give up a friendship just to make a profit? That didn't sound like his mother. Then again, this was before he was born, and she could have been different then.

"Yuzuha didn't back down," Alfredo spoke up as if reading the college student's mind. "Akane was her best friend, and for a while they stayed friends. Yuzuha helped Akane through her pregnancy with Riku, and the favor was returned when your mother was carrying you and your brother."

Kaoru's eyes widened. "Really?"

Alfredo nodded. "The triplets played with you and Hikaru when you were a year old," he said. Alfredo looked at the ground as he sat on the arm of a chair. He linked his fingers and shook his head. "Later, your mother's company got hit by a scam. Akane's parents offered to help out provided she dumped Akane as part of her support. Yuzuha still wouldn't, so Akane and David packed up their lives in Japan and came to this Vineyard to raise the kids. Akane did it to save your mother's company. They never spoke again."

Kana came out of the other room. She had been standing at the door listening to her grandfather tell her parents story. It was a really brief edition of the entire story, but it would let Kaoru know a bit of what was going on. Kaoru looked at her and she smiled weakly. "If my mother's parents found out that I was friends with a Hitachiin heir, they would demand your mother pay back the money they gave her to get back on her feet," Kana said. "That's why you can't tell your mom that I make you dinner, or that I'm your friend."

Kaoru's head was spinning from all of this information. His mother had basically been blackmailed. He clenched his fists. "How could your grandparents do that!" he exclaimed. He threw his hands up in the air angrily as he glared at Kana.

Kana looked at the ground. "As far as I'm concerned, they aren't my family. Hitachiin Fashion shouldn't suffer though. It's a great line of clothing, and I'd feel really horrible if I was the reason the company was hurt," she said as she stepped away from Kaoru.

"You shouldn't let them manipulate you guys like this," Kaoru said. "It's not fair to your family. It's not fair to mine. My mom lost her best friend because of this! And now I can lose a friend too all because your mom chose who she wanted to marry. What kind of archaic world do your grandparents live in?"

Kana looked at him. "They live in your world Kaoru. Do you mean to tell me you haven't come across arranged marriages?" What was done was done. Now, she needed to work on keeping things from getting out of hand now that Kaoru knew the truth. She knew that she would have to plead his brother not to spill the beans. "I'm sorry Kaoru. I wish I told you before you found out this way, but I couldn't run the risk of you talking to your mom. If she found out about us, she may try to come talk to our family. My mom's parents would come at her full force. I don't want that to happen, Kaoru."

Kaoru took a deep breath to calm down. He looked around. "Can we go home now?" he asked. He needed to think, and his condo would be the place to do it.

Kana nodded as she gave her grandfather a hug. "Tell the others what's going on. I'll call you tomorrow."

Kana followed Kaoru out of the house silently. She kept her eyes on the ground as Kaoru stomped around. It was going to be a really long drive home.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven:

Kaoru sat on his mattress as he looked at the two outfits in front of him. Finally the Halloween ball had come and his creations would be shown off. The Ball was next week and everything had come together. Everything except for the mask. The mask should have arrived from a delivery service today, but he found out that the mask had never actually left a factory. He had texted Kana and told her the bad news and she only assured him that they would figure something out. He only hoped that she liked what he had produced in terms of the dress.

Things had been a little tense between the two since he had found out about the joint venture between their mothers hadn't been successful. Kana hadn't been keen on sharing anymore details, but he had no reason to doubt her words. He had seen the photo of his mother with her mother. Indisputable proof as Kyoya would call it. After getting the story from her, he checked within his own social circles. Sure enough, Kana's maternal grandparents never acknowledged that they had had a daughter.

Kaoru had shared this news with his brother, and while they agreed it was best, they didn't want to keep this secret from their mother for too long. Kaoru had now been tasked with talking to Kana about letting the twin's mother in. Maybe then things could change for both of their families.

His doorbell rang and Kaoru looked at the front of the condo. He pushed himself off the bed and headed for the door. He opened the door and his mouth dropped when he saw who it was.

"Kaoru!" Yuzuha Hitachiin cried happily. She pushed her way into the entrance and spun around. She clasped her hand together and looked at her youngest son adoringly. "How are you, dear?" she asked opening her arms up for a hug.

"Mom, what are you doing here?" Kaoru asked.

"Can't a mother miss her sons when they attend universities in different countries?" Yuzuha asked. She dropped her hands to her side. "Kaoru, what's wrong? You're usually so happy to see me."

Kaoru blinked and shook his head. "Nothing," he said. "I was just surprised. I am happy to see you." He forced a pleasant tone and put a smile on his face. He couldn't have his mom think something was wrong. She might go digging around.

Yuzuha threw her arms around Kaoru and missed the look of dismay on her son's face. How was she supposed to know that Kana Tolemei was just a hop, skip, and a jump away from their very location?

"Now, tell me, how's my baby Kaoru doing?" Yuzuha sang as she moved over to the couch. She sat down and crossed her ankles before she rested her hands on her knees. She admired the interior decorating and smiled. Dream Design really was the best.

She was actually surprised as well. Kaoru had always been the cleaner of the two twins, but she hadn't expected his condo to actually look and feel clean.

"I'm good, school's good. Everything is good," Kaoru answered as he reached for his cell phone in his pocket. He had to text Kana and ASAP.

"Have you made any friends?" Yuzuha asked. This has been her main concern. As a mom, she worried about the toll it would take on Kaoru now that he was away from his brother and the rest of the host club. Maybe that was why his place was so clean. He cleaned to battle the depression of being far from home?

"A couple," Kaoru answered with a small smile. Kana and Riku were friends. He quickly typed out a message. _Kana, stay away from my place!_

"Oh," Yuzuha replied. She was just bubbling with curiosity. Her son's short answers were intriguing, to say the least. She suspected that a girl was behind it. "Tell me about them."

"Uh," Kaoru began. His mind came to a screeching halt as he tried to figure out what to say. Would he have to lie? Would the truth have to come out sooner rather than later? He decided that a half lie would have to do for now. It was imperative that he talk to Kana first. "Richard's a graphic designer," he said changing Riku's name to something more "American."

"How interesting," Yuzuha drew out slowly. She bit her lip slightly before she continued with her interrogation. "What kind of stuff does he like to design?"

"Posters, booksleeves, advertisements," Kaoru listed off with a shrug. He tried to make it seem like it wasn't a big deal.

"Any other friends?" Yuzuha queried.

"Anna's cool," Kaoru stated as he moved over to the couch to sit down. "She likes interior design."

"It she studying it in school?"

Kaoru nodded. "She doesn't really need to though," he said with a smile. "She's already a fantastic designer."

"That's big of you to say, Kaoru," Yuzuha stated. Kaoru had never been quick to hand out praise. He watched carefully from the sidelines and made his judgment.

The sound of a lock turning caused mother and son to look towards the front door. Yuzuha watched in curiosity, and Kaoru looked on in horror. Only one person had an extra key to his place aside from himself, and it was the one person who didn't want to see Yuzuha Hitachiin.

Kana stepped in while she talked on her cell phone. "Riku, I'm telling you the new labels for Tolemei Wine are perfect. Kenji and Kairi already approved them. Don't worry about jii-chan. He'll love it," she spoke. She didn't even register the two people sitting on the couch. "Listen, I have to start dinner now. See you at Kaoru's in an hour. Love you, too. Bye."

Kana dropped her phone in her bag and stared digging around for something else. It was clear that she knew someone was in the condo because she continued talking without looking up. "Kaoru, I hope you managed to get to the store this time to buy food for me to cook. You're getting very lazy about your shopping."

"Kana Tolemei?" Yuzuha asked in quiet shock. Riku? Tolemei Wine? Kenji and Kairi? It wasn't possible. Was it?

Kana froze and slowly lifted her head to look up at Kaoru's mother. Her gaze shifted over to Kaoru who wore the same panicked, shocked expression that she did. The world had slowly come to a stop and the three people stood there looking at each other. None of them were quite sure how to respond, or how to proceed now that the cat was obviously out of the bag.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight:

Kana turned her gaze from Yuzuha and towards Kaoru once more. There was fear and shock, but there was also anger. She opened her mouth in an effort to speak only to have a garbled sob come out of her mouth as she turned around swiftly. She wrenched open the door and was halfway down the hall when she felt a soft gentle hand grab her elbow. Just from the touch, she knew that it was Kaoru and not his mother.

"Please don't run away," Yuzuha spoke up. The voice sounded far off in Kana's head, like she was on the other side of a phone call and not a few feet behind the college student.

"Kana, we can't hide anymore," Kaoru whispered in her ear as he pulled her into a hug. "I tried to warn you. I tried!"

Kana sank to the floor and covered her face with her hands. Kaoru only crouched down and held onto her wrists. "I really liked it here, Kaoru," she said quietly, as if speaking up would release the dam of emotions she was attempting to contain. "I liked cooking for you and talking about dresses. I liked having you as a friend. What is she doing here?"

"Why do you have to leave?" Kaoru asked just loud enough for his mother he hear. "It shouldn't have to be like this. Just because your grandparents are terrible people doesn't mean you have to pack up your life and run away. We're friends. You can't just run away from friends." He turned to his mother. "She can't just leave."

Kana let her hands sink down to her lap. "But we aren't supposed to be friends. That's the whole problem." After a stuttering breath she started to cry silently.

Yuzuha walked over and crouched down in her tight dress. She smoothed it out on top of her legs and smiled at Kana, trying to understand and make the young woman feel at ease. "You're so much more beautiful than I imagined," she said. "You look just like your mother. She was my best friend. I never stopped believing in her and your father. When they died, I was absolutely devastated." She reached a hand out and took one of Kana's and squeezed it tightly.

"I'm sorry for the trouble my family has caused you," Kana whispered. She tried to pull her hand away but found Yuzuha holding onto it tightly. "But you know that Kaoru and I can't be friends. We tried to keep it a secret, but it didn't work. If my grandparents found out, they would-"

"Let me deal with your grandparents," Yuzuha said smiling at her and Kaoru. "If you two are friends, and I can tell that you are, then that should continue." Always a practical woman, she stood up and lifted Kana up too. She took her sons hand and dragged the two back to Kaoru's apartment. She pushed them towards the couch as she locked the door. Turning on her heel and crossing her arms, she took a deep calming breath. She found that coming face to face with Akane's heir apparent for Dream Design was like fulfilling a life long dream that she had thought was unattainable. She smirked as she mentally formed a plan that would be sure to win everyone over. Everyone, except those she wanted to cut from her life.

"You're not going to tell them?" Kana asked. She shifted on the couch and tucked one leg under the other.

"No, they're going to find out, but with the plan I have in mind, it won't matter," Yuzuha stated. There was a clever gleam in her eyes as she strutted over to the couch and started pacing in front of the two college students. She tapped her chin and let out a gentle hum as she looked to the ceiling for answers.

"Mother?" Kaoru asked nervously. "What are you thinking?" He knew his mother's habits well enough to know when she was hatching a plan.

"Kana-chan, your grandmother is currently CEO of Dream Design while you work on finishing your degrees, correct?" Yuzuha asked as she was turned away from them.

"I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that question," Kana answered. She shifted uncomfortably as she interlaced her fingers and put her hands in her lap.

"Good, can you have her come to the apartment?"

"Mother, what are you planning?" Kaoru asked as he scooted closer to Kana. He wasn't sure where this was going, but he was pretty sure that whatever it was, Kana was sure to disagree.

"A joint venture," Yuzuha answered vaguely. She smiled at Kana and pulled out her phone. "I'll need to get a mediator in on this. A lawyer is sure to make this all very complicated."

Kana shook her head wildly. "We can't have you meet with my grandmother, what if anyone found out? What if they told my mother's parents. They would pull their support from your company."

"My company wasn't hit that hard by the scam," Yuzuha stated seriously. "At least in terms of being able to pay those old badgers their money back and still be successful, even so, what I have in mind would make both of our companies stronger, and with the addition of your brother's company, we would be unstoppable in the long run."

Kaoru and Kana exchanged looks of shocked understanding. "You're going to merge the three companies under one name like it was always supposed to be!" they both said. They glanced at each other briefly before they turned away blushing.

Yuzuha smirked and pulled out her cell phone. "Kaoru, what's the name of that lovely mediator that your friend is seeing?"

"Rae Miyagi?" Kaoru asked. He had been reading the tabloids. It wasn't hard to know which mediator his mother was referring to. Interestingly enough, Kaoru got most of his information about Rae from Hani-senpai.

Kana sank into the couch further, torn between shouting about how bad an idea this was, and wanting to move forward with it just so she could proverbially bite her thumb at her grandparents and prove that without their help all three companies were successful and could be even more successful under one name. She shook her head as she pulled out her cell phone and texted Riku to meet her at Kaoru's apartment as soon as he possibly could. Next she called her grandmother and got her assistant at Dream Design. She cleared her throat before she shifted into English. "_Hi there Star, would you mind telling my grandmother to come to my place after she finishes going over the design book. I have some theories about how to handle the Henderson's bathroom and I want her input._" She groaned once she hung up. Lying was the only way news wouldn't get out that there was about to be a secret meeting between CEO's of three different design franchises: Fashion, Interior, and Advertisin, the Dream Design trifecta.

Yuzuha was on the phone with a woman named Midori and they were laughing. They were talking about their children, and Yuzuha managed to cleverly steer the conversation towards a young mediator. Yuzuha assured the woman that she would explain everything after she returned from France, but explained that there was a few designs she was looking to acquire, but that she also didn't want to get lawyers involved if she could help it. She repeated her earlier sentiment that lawyers only seemed to make things unnecessarily complicated.

Kaoru meanwhile sat next to Kana and looked at the two woman. They had just lied flawlessly even when it seems that the two of them weren't feeling all too sure of themselves. He pulled out his phone and found a text from Hikaru and shook his head. His older brother was hatching a plan and Kaoru wasn't sure how Faye Bennett was going like Hikaru's plan to get her to like him. It seemed odd that Hikaru was trying so hard when Kaoru was under the impression that Faye already liked Hikaru.

Kana peeked at the text message and shook her head. "Why can't your brother leave that poor girl alone?" she asked. She crossed her arms and rolled her eyes.

Kaoru smiled. "I think he likes her actually. He just goes about it all in completely the wrong way."

"Faye Bennett shouldn't be treated like a toy, she's not like me. I can take your teasing and our little tete a tete is fun."

For the second time, Kaoru wondered just how much Kana knew about Hikaru's friend in Paris. "How do you know that?"

"Because I've met Faye before. We both want to go into art preservation. She wants to work on art and I books. I met her at a book fair in Edinburgh. We talk often about our studies and she asked me about my restorations. My grandmother is her mentor. Unfortunately, her move to Paris was one she had to make." Kana explained. "Like or not, Kaoru, our world is a very small one. Faye may not be wealthy like us, but she operates in the same circles because of her mother's family. You should know. Jasmine Chevalier has been trying to get you to date her since you started school. Rumor has it Ariel is on a similar mission with your twin. Sadly, neither of them are named Cinderella and there is no clock striking midnight." She snickered at her own joke.

"How did you know that Jasmine has continued to ask me out."

"Oh, Kaoru. There's a lot I know and choose not to share. Plus, Berkeley is a small campus in the grand scheme of things," Kana laughed as she stood up. She moved to the kitchen and opened the fridge to find that Kaoru had indeed bought food for the evening. She started pulling out ingredients and utensils as Yuzuha finished up her phone call.

"Are you making dinner?" Yuzuha asked.

Kana smiled. "I hope you like Rosemary chicken," she said. "I've texted my brother, he should be here shortly. Grandmother will get a message asking her to come and review some designs. They should both come and then we'll talk this over. Mergers are tricky business."

"I'm willing to take the risk if you and your brother are." Yuzuha said.

"What about me?" Kaoru asked. "What about Hikaru, we stand to inherit your business. We're just as involved in all of this as you."

"Are you willing to take the risk Kaoru?" Yuzuha and Kana asked.

Kaoru was silent and looked down at his phone as his brother texted him again. He looked at Kana as she moved around the kitchen, prepping the stove and mixing spices. "I am," he said before smiling.

Yuzuha placed a hand on her stomach and let out a controlled breath. "Good. Then let's make Akane's dream come true. And mine for that matter."

0o0o0o0

"This is actually a pretty solid plan," Riku stated as he looked at the notebook in front of him. "I mean, we all benefit as equal partners in name but maintain control over our own areas. More so, we open up the potential for collaboration between all of our companies, and in effect create a all access pass to those who want the best people looking out for their design interests."

Yuzuha flipped through some of the pages of notes she had drawn up as everyone sat around Kaoru's dining room table. She looked up to see Kana and her grandmother flipping through their own notes as well. "Do you have any concerns, Kana?"

Kana shook her head as she flipped through the pages. She pointed at something. She looked at her grandmother. "It's times like this where I'm happy our Board of Directors is family and friends who followed mom and dad after my grandparents disowned mother."

"My board will support this kind of venture, it means more money in their pockets," Riku said. He looked to Yuzuha who only smiled and nodded.

"Keeping it a secret is the only problem now," Kaoru stated.

"I actually have an idea for that," Kana said with a smile. "We need to create a distraction. And one way to create a distraction is through sensation, and I do believe there will be a lot of pomp and circumstance at the Halloween Ball. A bunch of rich kids partying it up in masks and gowns, what's not to love? The Halloween Ball attracts cameras and crew from all sorts of major tabloids."

Riku grinned as he caught onto Kana's plan. "You want to make something viral and use it to draw attention away from board meetings and talks of mergers. I can help with that. After all, sensations are a part of the ad game."

"We'll have the boards sign non-disclosure agreements, and create a spectacle to keep eyes away from our activities," Yuzuha nodded. "How are you going to do it?"

"Kaoru is going to have a mystery date with a girl in a wolf mask," Kana smiled. "A mysterious love interest for the youngest Hitachiin heir is sure to draw attention. Furthermore, we flood the tabloids with false information; make it impossible for people to figure out what's going on and BAM! We have a sensation while the world is non the wiser about our true intentions."

Kaoru smiled and nodded. "I'll have to alter your dress design a bit."

"Plan for me to wear a wig, we need to keep people from thinking its me. To make it seem like I'm out of town, I'll make it look like I'm somewhere else for the duration of the ball. I have a friend that can help with that from her college in D.C." Kana pulled out her phone and texted someone quickly.

Yuzuha leaned back in her seat and smirked. "This plan is mischievous. Normally, I would ask Kaoru if it was his, but the look in your eyes is the same one Akane would get when she was up to something. Kaoru, let me see the design for the dress, I hear that Faye designs masks, maybe we can get her to design one."

"I have one of Faye's masks," Riku said. "It's a grey wolf. It was supposed to be a birthday present for Kana in January, but it'll have to be used to keep the press from knowing that the mystery girl is my sister."

"The game is on." Kana laughed as she closed her notebook and grinned at Kaoru. He smiled back as he stood up to grab his designs for his mother to look at.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter Nine:

Kaoru was seated on the bottom level of Main Stacks library of Berkeley attempting to study. He furtively glanced to the other end of the long table and found Kana sitting there quietly working on an essay. They would have sat next to each other, but Jasmine Chevalier was always around Kaoru. In fact, she sat across from him looking at the Internet. Kaoru was quick to text Kana and tell her that they wouldn't be able to study together. Still she showed up, acting as nonchalant about the entire ordeal. Apparently, Riku had given her a lecture about her paranoia.

It was Halloween finally. The ball started at seven, and Kaoru was counting down the minutes to when he and Kana were going to grace the red carpet together. His mother had expressed him a new mask that Faye had lying around her room, and he knew that it would match Kana's wolf mask in color. It was a special request, and Fay had apparently insisted that this would be the mask to match Kana's. Hikaru had seemed very amused by the whole thing.

Kana stood up suddenly and started packing up her things. She had ignored Kaoru the entire time. It was crucial. Jasmine apparently was a dog after a juicy steak and had been following Kaoru ever since he announced that he would be going to the Halloween ball with someone else. Kaoru had told Kana about Jasmine following her and and the two only talked through dummy email accounts and careful text messages when they weren't in San Francisco. Kana was now "Logan" in his phone, and Kaoru was "Henrietta" in Kana's phone.

Kaoru didn't react to Kana's departure and instead looked at the email he had just gotten. It was from Kana. _I__'__m headed to Tolman Hall__'__s Children__'__s Literature Library. I__'__ll meet you at the BART Station in an hour. Jasmine lives in the Sorority up on Piedmont so she likely will leave us alone. I hope. _

Kaoru sat there, getting his math homework done, and organizing his notes for the media studies course he was taking. He mentally cursed the fact that he had to fulfill a breadth course on his way into the business school, but praised that it gave him time to make sure that Jasmine didn't know that Kana and he were friends. He pulled up a photo of the dress he had designed and smiled at it. It was a work of art, and it was about to be shown in the best way possible.

When he only had fifteen minutes left, he started packing up his shoulder bag. He shoved his laptop inside and pulled the bag over his shoulder.

"Kaoru!" Jasmine whispered excitedly. "Are you still going to the Halloween ball?" she asked.

"I told you, I'm going with someone else," Kaoru said quietly. He smiled and started heading up a flight of stairs. He mentally groaned as Jasmine followed him.

"I know, but if you find you aren't having a good time. . ." Jasmine began slowly, grabbing his wrist to stop him from walking. "Perhaps you could come find me." She rubbed the top of his soft hand with her thumb as she smiled seductively.

"I'll keep that in mind, but I don't think it's going to be a problem." Kaoru pulled his hand away quickly and jumped up the stairs and made his way to the closest exit. He told himself that he would have to wash his hands after Jasmine touched him. There was some thick substance on her hand and now he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Twenty minutes later, he looked at the Peet's Coffee that was in the BART station and found Kana sipping hot chocolate. She vaguely nodded and looked up the escalator and turned around quickly. She pushed her way through the gates and skipped down the stairs. Kaoru used his transit card to get through the gates and made his way down the stairs. The San Francisco train was pulling up and he spotted Kana stepping into the train car ahead of him. She had her phone out and caught his eye. Kaoru pulled out his phone and put his headphones a couple minutes later as his phone began to ring. He found a seat next to another college student and smiled.

"Hey Logan," he greeted when he looked up and found Jasmine smiling at him. One thing was for sure. His shift between English and Japanese was becoming so fluid, he didn't really worry about anything. English with the rest of the world, Japanese with Kana and her family.

"Sorry. I would have waited, but she showed up. She must have followed you." Kaoru could see Kana standing by the sliding doors of the next car. She was smiling and pulled her hair up into a ponytail. "You should get off at Embarcadero and I'll get off at Montgomery. I'll catch a cab to the complex and meet you at your place so we can get ready. I know a back way into the building."

"I really wish we didn't have to do this stupid assignment for Media Studies," Kaoru said shaking his head.

"It's only until we make the announcement on New Year's Eve," Kana said. "Two months and then we can be public about our friendship. Plus there's always our dinners."

"I was thinking we could do pizza tomorrow," Kaoru said with a smile.

"Do you want me to make it or order it?"

"You can make it?" Kaoru asked surprised.

"When are you going to learn that I can cook, Henrietta?" Kana asked with a laugh. "I gotta go, I'll see you at the condo."

"See you in class."

Kaoru hung up and tried to ignore Jasmine as she tried to get his attention. He gave up after a few minutes and groaned. "Are you headed into The City too?" he asked politely.

"My hair stylist is there. She's going to make me look absolutely fabulous for tonight," Jasmine smiled.

"Well I hope you enjoy your time at the ball, it should be really interesting. Kaoru pulled one of his textbooks and opened it. "I have to get some studying done before I have to get ready. It's a nice train ride."

Jasmine stiffened and smiled genially. "Okay. Well, I'm going to grab a seat. See you at the ball."

0o0o0

It took Kaoru thirty minutes to get away from Jasmine once he arrived in San Francisco. It took him even longer to get back to his condo. As soon as he stepped into his foyer, he found Kana standing at his breakfast bar, eating a green apple. "Did you finally ditch the Chevalier idiot?"

"She's super clingy and now we're running behind when it comes to getting ready."

Kana tossed the rest of her apple away under the sink and picked up a dress bag from the coat rack. "That is why I got my dress. I'll see you in an hour and you better be ready to go." As she walked past Kaoru, she paused and kissed him on the cheek. "Lets have a spectacular night."

Kaoru blinked as Kana left his condo with a laugh. He touched his cheek and texted Hikaru before he walked into his room. That was something different. Kana had never done that before, and he realized that he really liked that. He quickly entered his room and unzipped the garment bag to reveal a dark grey suit. He lifted up the small and simple shape of the mask and smirked. Faye had done something with the stiff leather mask and he was staring at silver swirls. On the edge there was a silver outline of a wolf howling at a crescent moon. He knew that his mother had mentioned the design of Kana's dress, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that Faye had incorporated the theme in an effort to make the night even more spectacular.

0o0

The Fairmont in San Francisco was buzzing with excitement. The annual charity Halloween Ball was just about to start, and the who's who of California had come out to support a great cause. Kaoru looked at the other end of the limo and smirked. "Ready?"

A black wolf smirked at him as Kana leaned forward. "I was born ready."

Kaoru stepped out of the limo and straightened his jacket. His mask was on tight and he looked around and waved a bit to some of the cameras. He turned back to the limo and held out a hand.

Kana's manicured silver nails fell into Kaoru's hand as she stepped out of the limo. A white-haired wig now concealed her long black hair, and her lavender eyes were a deep blue. The black wolf's face was accented with silver and white raised leather fur took up most of her face, only revealing pale lips. The dress was a strapless number that fell to her ankles. The bust was made of black velvet but had silver ribbing running down to the corset to her hips. The skirt had a little body that was boosted by the many layers of see through grays, black, and silver fabrics. Some of the lighter sheer fabric had been frayed at the end to give a fur like look. She stood tall in her dress and she smiled at the cameras.

"You look really great," Kaoru whispered in her ear as he wrapped an arm around her waist. He kept his hand on her waist as they walked into the hotel. They paused for a few photos as they were asked to and once inside they both let out a deep breath.

"There's bound to be more cameras inside. Official press photos and whatnot," Kana said. "Well Henrietta, I do believe the worst is behind us."

"And what is Kana doing tonight?" Kaoru asked.

"Kana is in Boston posting selfies with one of her best friends," Kana answered with a smile. "The last time we were together, we had a bunch of photos together, so she's posting those."

"I thought your friend was in D.C?" Kaoru smiled as they were met with another camera.

"I decided to go with someone I trusted more," Kana answered. She rested her head on Kaoru's shoulder and smiled coyly. "Plus, she's a stellar liar and can build up a backstory better than anyone I know. She's been tagging me announcing that I got on a plain shortly after I left the library and now we're hanging out at her place. Tomorrow, we're going to a movie, and then we're going to get sushi."

"I hope to meet her sometime,"

"You'll meet her in a few weeks for Thanksgiving break. She'll be joining my family for dinner. You can come too."

"That would be really nice. The break is too short for me to go back to Japan or to see Hikaru in France," Kaoru smiled as they continued walking. They entered the ballroom and heard the string quartet prep to start a waltz. People were taking their places on the ballroom floor.

Kaoru turned to Kana and bowed slightly as he held out his hand. "May I have this dance?" he asked.

Kana smiled and could feel her cheeks heat up. Nonetheless, she put her hand in his and the two moved towards the dancefloor. The two of them got into the proper stance. Kaoru kept her hand in his as he placed his other hand on her lower waist. Kana rested her hand on his shoulder just as the music started and she smiled at him. The two started to dance and continued to smile at eachother.

As Kaoru smiled, he realized that Kana wasn't breaking eye contact. She knew the waltz, but he wondered who had taught it to her. She just smiled and moved with ease. "You're really good at this."

"My dad taught me," Kana smiled. "We had just watched Cinderella and I told him I wanted to Waltz with a prince."

"Does a fashion prince count?" Kaoru smirked.

Kana giggled slightly as they spun around. "I suppose I can count it. But only because you're a pretty decent prince. I think it was that Host Club of yours."

Kaoru's smile grew even more as they continued to dance, never once breaking eye contact as the music shifted into a faster tempo.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

Kaoru was sitting in the middle of campus by the giant clock tower when he felt his phone buzz. He glanced at the caller ID for only a second before he answered with a smile. "Kyoya," he said. "What convinced you to give me a call?"

"You have a spare bedroom at your condo, right?" Kyoya asked.

Kaoru looked up at the clock tower as it started to play its afternoon song. Kaoru stood up and started walking away, adjusting his bag slightly. "Yes," Kaoru answered.

"My roommate, Bobby knows Kana, and we're coming in a couple weeks for Thanksgiving break,"

Kaoru stopped and pulled his phone away and looked at it for a moment. "Bobby knows Kana?" he asked carefully. It only took him a couple seconds to put the pieces together. "Bobby is the friend she trusts more."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kyoya asked.

Kaoru recovered. "Kana had Bobby do something for her, and it needed to be done by a trusted friend," Kaoru explained. He wasn't entirely sure what Kyoya knew and didn't know, but Kyoya was quite clever and likely found out that there was something going on with Kana and Kaoru. However, Kyoya was the kind of person who sat on information until it suited his own designs. "The world really is small. Kana knows Bobby and Faye. Huh."

"Bobby and Faye are cousins," Kyoya said simply.

"WHAT!" Kaoru yelled only to sheepishly duck away from prying eyes. Once he was hidden away once more, he shook his head. "Now the world really would be small if Kana was somehow related to Mori-senpai or Honey-senpai's girlfriend." Kaoru shook his head feeling particularly stupid about having to miss the meeting between Kana and Rae Miyagi. Why was attendance important at a university level?

"Doubtful, but I have been known to be wrong a time or two where Bobby is concerned," Kyoya admitted with a sigh. "Knowing Bobby and her range of connections, before being stationed in Japan, Rae-san's father was in Afghanistan at the same time as Bobby's father and the two of them fought side by side on some covert mission. But that is just speculation. They could not know each other. There is just a common background in the military."

"Your roommate is seriously connected," Kaoru said with a shake of his head. He wondered, if by extension, Kana was as connected when he suddenly remembered something Kana said. "Kyoya, do you think our world is small because we're rich. Not in the sense that the entire world is small, but the idea that we all know each other in some capacity because we're wealthy."

"There is some truth to that. Bobby and Kana's worlds intersect most because they come from rich European families. Tolemei wine uses Masters Security to protect and insure their wineries in Europe, and Bobby's mother sits on the Board of Directors of Dream Design," Kyoya said.

"How do you know more than I do about Kana's family?" Granted, Kyoya knew a lot more than anyone else in the Host Club. Kyoya made it his business to know the world of wealth and privilege. Kaoru just knew the people of Fashion. Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai would likely know more military people. Did they know Bobby? He shook his head, denying the possibility. Honey-senpai's family mostly worked with American Military and the Japanese government.

"I asked Bobby," Kyoya said. "And I did my own research. She's trying to help your friend. Though, I'm not sure in what ways."

"Wait. That Spencer guy, Hikaru told me about."

"Is Bobby's twin," Kyoya finished. Kaoru could hear the smirk that pulled at his lips, making the statement sound lighter than normal.

"More twins," Kaoru laughed.

"Yes, more twins."

Kaoru grimaced at the tone Kyoya used, wondering if maybe Kyoya was tired of him and Hikaru or if he was just tired of Bobby. Was their battle of wits still going on, and did Kyoya's tone indicate that he was losing? Kaoru hoped Kyoya was losing. The cool type won when it came to most things, maybe the challenge that Bobby presented was granting him the ability to open up a little more. "So you're coming to San Francisco?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Yes. Bobby will likely stay with the Tolemei's."

"Uh, Kyoya, for Thanksgiving, we're all going to the Tolemei winery in Sonoma, there are plenty of rooms there for everyone. It's a large Tuscan Mansion. If you're coming, you won't be staying with me. You'll be staying with Kana's family."

There was a lull on the line as Kaoru smirked. Bobby had kept a lot of information from Kyoya. Apparently there was still something going on between the two.

"So we aren't in San Francisco, we'll be in Sonoma. Good to know," Kyoya said.

"How much did Bobby tell you?"

"She just invited me last night. She bought the ticket too, that was pretty presumptuous. She couldn't be sure I would say yes."

"Something tells me she knows you better than you think," Kaoru told him. "I have class in a half hour and I need to grab some lunch. I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye, Kaoru."

"Bye."

Kaoru hung up and jogged towards one of the many cafes that were tucked away all over campus. This one was attached to one of the libraries, and it just so happened that he had to book to pick up. He smirked when he thought about Bobby keeping Kyoya half in the dark about their Thanksgiving plans. He also enjoyed the fact that Thanksgiving would be the day he got to finally meet Kana's twin brothers and the mysterious Bobby. There was something comforting about spending an American holiday with a bunch of non-Americans. He got to enjoy the benefits of not going to class while spending time with others who didn't have Thanksgiving.

0o0o0o0

Kaoru pushed opened the door to Kana's condo and found her sitting at her worktable photographing an old book. "You finished another book?" Kaoru asked walking over.

Kana nodded. "I can't seem to focus on homework, so I just started working on this yesterday. I just have to mail it back to the Huntington."

Kaoru blinked. "That's that big old library in Los Angeles, right?"

Kana nodded. "This isn't one of their more rare books, but it had some work to be done, and their conservationist were busy with a Shakespeare Folio. So they contacted my grandmother and she gave them my name," she explained. She pushed her glasses up to rest on the top of her head and smiled at Kaoru. "So what's up?" she asked.

"Your trustworthy friend is Kyoya's roommate," Kaoru said with a pout. "How could you not tell me?"

Kana laughed and shook her head. "I thought you knew," she said. "I talk to Bobby all the time, I figured you did the same with Kyoya."

"I do talk to him. But you've been keeping secrets," Kaoru continued to pout, but there was a gleam in his eye that made Kana back up slightly. "Kana, why do you keep secrets from me? I thought we were friends."

"We are friends, Kaoru," Kana sighed as she slid off the stool. She put her hands on his shoulders and backed him up to the couch. "You're not my only close friend. You just happen to be my only close friend in the Bay Area. Now lets sit and watch some TV."

"Wait, you don't have other friends here?"

"Sure I do, I'm just not as close to them as I am Bobby, Spencer, and Faye. Kaoru, the twins and Faye grew up visiting California all the time. You had your Host Club, we had our own little club of kids working together towards a common goal. We may be separated by countries and continents, but we operate and communicate just like your Host Club does. There's seven of us and seven of you. Well, Bobby's older brothers could count too, but they were serving in the British military when we were younger. Riku was closer to our age, so he was our appointed leader. I don't think Bobby liked it."

Kaoru leaned back in the couch and blew out a breath. A host club size of friends that all worked together. He wondered if they had their own categories in which they classified themselves. What were their types? It seemed like they all operated in ways that were separated from the classifications of the Host Club. "What are your types?" he asked.

Kana looked at Kaoru and shrugged. "Spencer is like... I don't know. He's the hacker." Kana shrugged and turned on the TV, but kept the volume down low.

"Hacker?"

"Computer code is his thing."

"And yours?" Kaoru asked. "What's your thing?"

"Books," Kana answered simply. "My thing is fixing books. But I'll end up running Dream Design, so I guess I'm the Designer. See we don't really have types, Kaoru. We're all creators in some form. I design spaces, Riku designs ads, Faye creates art, Bobby writes books, Spencer makes security systems, and Kenji is learning how to make wine. Kairi is the only practical one, though I suppose Bobby is too, to some extent. She tends to fix things. We have our own things that we work on."

Kaoru leaned back. A group of creators all together, it sounded like a power team of inspiration. He knew that Kana's own interior design skills were a match to his own fashion design skills. She built spaces to match personalities, feelings. Dream design wasn't just a one-stop shop for someone's home space. Glamorous parties utilized the company to create the right atmosphere to fit a theme.

"But they're different industries," Kaoru stated. "Wine, Interior Design, Marketing, Publishing, and Security. So you aren't all alike."

Kana shook her head. "No. We do operate in different areas, but it's our desire to create that brings us together. That's what we all like about each other. I could have decided to leave my mother's company in the hands of someone else, but I like design too much to do that. I'm glad I decided to do that. After my parents died there was a lot of talk of who would take over Dream Design. My mom's parents tried to steal the company."

"What?" Kaoru asked sitting up. He turned slightly so that he was sitting sideways in the couch.

"Yeah, they made a bid to put my mom's mother as the CEO of Dream Design," Kana explained. "They believed that because it was their daughter, they should take over her company. I'm not even sure what happened, but they stopped after a couple months, they formerly withdrew their claim, and my dad's mom took over along with the Board of Directors until I turned 21. I remember wanting to cry because I thought I was going to lose my mom's company. I was only twelve, but I knew what I wanted to do."

Kaoru's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Her grandparents had made a run at the company only to pull out with apparently no argument. He didn't even know anyone who had ever done that. Most people were relentless in acquiring companies, even his mother. You have to be pretty sure you want a company to even think of acquiring it. Yet, Kana's grandparents had pulled out just months after laying claim. He found the entire scenario just odd. He pulled out his cell phone and texted Kyoya asking him to look into the acquisition attempt from Kana's grandparents.

"Do you know anything about why they pulled out?" Kaoru asked.

Kana shook her head as she shrugged. "They just stopped."

Kaoru shook his head and looked at the TV and dumbly stared at it. He wasn't really paying attention to the plot or who the characters were. He continued to think about the entire situation and was determined to figure out why her grandparents backed out. "Who are your grandparents?"

"The Iwate Family," Kana answered. She laughed slightly. "I just realized that I've never once said who they were. You just kind of rolled with it."

"We would have been in class together if you were in Japan."

Kana nodded. "Pedigree and Wealth, the Iwate's have it," she said. "But I would have been in your class anyway. My mom and dad met in class 1-A of Ouran Middle School."

"This is going to work, right?" Kaoru asked.

Kana blew out a sigh. "I hope so. If my grandparents try to interfere, we're going to have a really hard time."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven:

"Their plane landed ten minutes ago," Kaoru whined as he turned to face Kana. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looked towards airport security again. He wasn't typically this impatient, but he was just buzzing with excitement.

Kana rolled her eyes as she texted Riku. Kaoru and Kana were set to meet Kyoya and Bobby at the security checkpoint while Riku was driving in circles waiting for them. She had just given him an update on where they were. Kana looked up just as she saw Bobby and Kyoya. She waved her hand as Kaoru noticed them. Kana smiled only to tilt her head in confusion.

Bobby was holding Kyoya back and she had a serious look on her face. They were too far to hear anything that was being said. "What's going on with those two?" Kaoru muttered as he took a couple steps to stand next to Kana.

"Beats me," Kana answered. "It's probably some weird thing between the two." She shook her head and beckoned the two forward.

As Kyoya and Bobby walked over, Kana rushed forward and hugged Bobby tightly. Bobby laughed and spun around as she lifted Kana up without much trouble. "Oh I've missed you!" Bobby said happily.

Kana laughed and stepped back, still holding on to Bobby's elbows.. "I've missed you. Gosh, it's been so long."

"I was at your graduation back in June," Bobby laughed.

"Yeah, that was too long ago," Kana said. She turned to Kaoru and gestured to Bobby. "This is Bobby Masters, one of my greatest friends, and crowning glory of the Masters family."

"Hello Kaoru," Kyoya greeted with a glimmer of a smile.

"Hey, Kyoya," Kaoru said with a full smile. "Welcome to California. Kana, meet Kyoya Ootori, the Shadow King of the Ouran Host Club."

"It's a pleasure to be here," Kyoya answered as he adjusted his grip on the overnight bag he carried. "It's nice to meet you Miss Tolemei."

Bobby laughed and rolled her eyes at Kyoya as she held her hand out for Kaoru to take. "It's nice to meet you, Kaoru. And I'm not the glory of the Master's family. Kana just thinks I am."

Kaoru smiled and took Bobby's hand. He liked her already. She was polite and funny. She reacted to Kyoya's cool attitude with a certain tickled indifference. She rolled her eyes at him, accepting his formal presentation but finding it archaic at the same time. Kaoru could see himself getting along with Bobby Masters.

Kana took Bobby's hand and started dragging her out of the airport. "Riku is waiting for us at passenger pickup. Then we'll be on our way to Sonoma to spend some time with the grandparents. Come on!"

Kyoya and Kaoru followed closely behind but looked at if they weren't in any rush to cram themselves into a car with three other people. Kaoru glanced towards Kyoya with a sly smirk. "Tono says there's something going on with you and Bobby," he teased.

"We're just friends," Kyoya answered. "I'm not sure the same could be said about you and Kana." He smirked as they stepped out into the slightly chilly weather of the San Francisco Bay. He pulled up the zipper on his jacket.

Kaoru blushed and looked away stubbornly. There wasn't anything going on between him and Kana. Kyoya was just trying to deflect attention away from his relationship with Bobby. Kaoru sped his pace up just a little bit only to have Kyoya counter it. "There's nothing going on with Kana and I."

"Are you sure?" Kyoya asked. "You seem quite close to someone you shouldn't be talking to."

Kaoru narrowed his eyes. "She's just a friend."

"And so is Bobby." Kyoya said with a finality about his words.

0o0o0o0

Kyoya and Kaoru were guided into the Tolemei mansion by Kana and Riku. While Kaoru had already seen the place and had visited at least once after chasing Kana in the vineyards, he always felt like he was stepping into the past when he came through the front doors. There wasn't anything particularly old about the home, but the furniture, at least the furniture that wasn't antique, called back to old edwardian styles and colors.

The main foyer was large and welcoming with it's warm, dark colors. A large staircase stood in the middle of the room and split off in two directions halfway up to the second floor. On either side of the staircase there were a set of double doors. One, Kaoru knew, led off to the living room and main office. The other, led to the only modern room on the first floor which was the family room, the kitchen, and the dining room.

Bobby popped up behind Kaoru and Kyoya and laughed. "It's pretty amazing isn't it?" she asked. She spun around the youngest Hitachiin twin and looked at Kana. "Do I still get my room?"

"The one next to mine, yeah," Riku said climbing the stairs with Bobby. "So have you finished the book yet?"

"I've got a copy in my bag waiting for you to read," Bobby answered.

"I knew there was a reason I liked you."

Their voices faded as they disappeared leaving Kana to smile at Kyoya and Kaoru. "Welcome to my family home. You'll find rooms upstairs for you, all you need to do is pick one of the open doors. My grandparents went to go pick up Kenji at Davis. Kairi is finishing up his class right about now and will drive up when he can. Once you get settled, if Kyoya-san would like, I can give you a tour of the winery."

"Thank you, that's very kind," Kyoya said simply. "I am interested in seeing the property. My family holds your wine in high esteem."

"That's what we strive for," Kana said. She beckoned them to the stairs and happily climbed them. "We believe in quality over quantity. You won't find any two-buck Chuck wine here."

"What?" Kaoru and Kyoya echoed. They looked at each other for a moment and then back to Kana.

"Oh. Right. American words. It's really cheap wine," Kana said with a smile. She turned to the right and climbed the second set of stairs. "We have a large production, but we make sure to put out the best wine we possibly can. Wine making is an art as much as it is a science."

As Kana came to the top of the stairs she gestured to the many open doors. "It's all available for you to take. Just pick a room. I'll give you a half hour to settle in, then I'll show you around the winery. Every room has a bathroom, so you don't even have to share a shower!" she said as she walked down the hall to one of the closed doors. She pushed it open and waved before she closed the door.

Kaoru and Kyoya exchanged glances before letting out sighs. Kyoya pushed up his glasses and made his way to the closest open door. Kaoru walked the few extra feet to the room that was directly across from the room Kana had entered. He left the door open as he dropped his bag on the floor and finally got a glimpse of what the real living quarters of the Tolemei house held.

The room was furnished in modern dark woods. There was a large wardrobe pushed up against the righthand wall, and directly in front of it was a king sized bed covered by a deep red quilt with gold flowers embroidered. A dark desk was under the wide window and when Kaoru walked over, he saw the rolling hills that were covered in grapevines. Kaoru pulled his shoulder bag over his head and dropped it lightly on top of the desk. He had a paper to write over the weekend, and he was almost done, but work didn't stop for vacation.

Kaoru turned to the door that was near the wardrobe and walked over to open it. It was a walk in closet. Not a very large one, but one that would fit at least a months worth of different outfits. Once he backed out of the closet, he made a complete one eighty and looked at the door that was off to the side of his bed. This must be the bathroom he was told would be attached to his room. He crossed the room and opened the door and smiled.

Polished marble, silver fixtures, a soaking tub, and a shower. He was about to consider it all heaven until he saw the door on the other side. He quickly opened the door and let out a sigh of relief when he saw that it was another empty room.

"This was the room that one of Bobby's brothers would take. The other one would be forced to take the other," Kana said.

Kaoru jumped and turned around as he pressed himself up against the counter. "Kana!" he yelped.

Kana laughed as she shook her head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you," she said. "You'll have the bathroom to yourself, and you can lock that door if you're really worried about it."

Kaoru nodded and actually closed the door to the other room and locked it. "Do all the bathrooms have adjoining bathrooms?"

"No, just this one. It was supposed to be the rooms that my brothers and I were supposed to share. Turns out we didn't like looking at hills and instead wanted to look out at the town that's nearby." Kana stepped back into Kaoru's room. "I hope you'll like it here."

"I already do," Kaoru said. "I'm with friends." He sat on the edge of the large bed and looked around. "Are your grandparents in the habit of hosting many guests?"

Kana shook her head. "Only during the summer or for hoidays. This Christmas, we're headed to London to spend it with Bobby's family at her father's home. Last year the Master's came here."

"Does Faye join you?"

Kana nodded with a smile. "It's quite the full house of friends and family. It's pretty amazing," she answered. She gestured for Kaoru to follow her as she walked out of his room.

Kaoru followed her closely as he wondered what was going on. He followed Kana down the stairs and into the kitchen. Kaoru marveled at more polished marble and the modern appliances as he followed Kana out to a back deck. Kana was leaning against the railing that overlooked the winery's laboratory and warehouse. "Isn't it amazing?" Kana asked.

"You have quite the production. What's produced here?" Kaoru asked.

Kana shook her head. "I'll give you the tour and explain it all."

"HELLO!" a male voice called out.

"That will be Kenji and my grandparents. Come on!" Kana grabbed Kaoru's hand and dragged him back through the kitchen. She smiled back at him.

Kaoru blushed as he gripped Kana's hand lightly. He smiled as he was pulled to a stop in the foyer. He looked up and found Kana's grandparents and a young man standing next to them. Kaoru knew that it was Kana's brother. Kenji, the twin that was planning on majoring in Viticulure and Enology.

"Kaoru, so good to see you again," Alfredo greeted with a smile. He hung his coat up in the closet.

Kaoru bowed politely as he looked towards the stairs. "My friend Kyoya is up in the room he chose," Kaoru said pointing to the stairs.

"Oh don't worry about it Kaoru," Bianca said with a smile. Bianca Tolemei stood with an ease of grace and finesse that radiated a confidence that always managed to leave Kaoru in absolute awe. She was a well know art historian and conservationist. She was also the head of Kana's company. All of this, Kaoru knew, but he also knew that Bianca cared deeply for her grandchildren. Bianca was a family woman and a businesswoman, just like his own mother, and if there was one thing Kaoru knew, it was that this woman would take on the devil herself to ensure that her family was safe and free from malicious intent.

Kana jumped up to her brother and hugged him close. "Kenji, meet Kaoru. My friend and future business partner."

Kenji smiled and waved awkwardly as Kana restrained his upper arms and rested her head on his shoulder. "Nice to finally meet you. I don't get away from school all too often, but Grandmother and Kana have been keeping me updated." His sparkling blue eyes were light and happy, as he rested his head on Kana's. "This merger that's in the works is pretty amazing and I know my mom would be happy with it. My dad, too."

"Is that Kenji?" Bobby's voice echoed through the house.

"Hey Bobby," Kenji called with a laugh.

"Hello Barbara!" Bianca called out happily.

The foyer was graced with a large groan as Bobby hopped down the stairs with Kyoya and Riku. Bobby jumped the last three steps and ran up to Kenji and Kana. "So how are the natural sciences treating you on your way to wine making?"

"It's complex, but nothing I can't handle."

"Well of course. You're so smart," Bobby said. She turned to Bianca's open arms and hugged her close. "Hello Auntie!"

"Auntie?" Kaoru and Kyoya asked.

"Not her real aunt. Just old family friend," Kana clarified.

Bobby gave Alfredo a hug before she turned to back to Riku. "We all set?" she asked.

Riku nodded. "Kenji," he began. "Kana was going to give these two a tour, but perhaps as training, you can go with them and explain the process of making our families wines."

"Where are you going?" Kyoya asked Bobby.

"Riku and I are headed into the town to shop and hang out."

Kaoru watched Kyoya carefully as the older Ootori heir pushed up his glasses with a smirk. "I thought you would be joining the tour."

"Barbara already knows the grounds and our process for making wine," Alfredo said. This warranted another groan from Bobby. "I'm sure she wants to grab some yarn from the shop nearby so that she can knit."

"You knit?"Kaoru asked Bobby.

Bobby nodded as she gave a smile. "I make gloves, and hats, and blankets. I'm working on some projects right now, but my schedule has been pretty busy. Riku and I are just going to walk aorund and have some fun."

Kaoru looked to Kyoya again and saw him give Bobby one of his mischievous smiles. It was close to his fake smile, but it was the eyes that told the difference. Just like he knew that Hikaru was in love with Haruhi, he saw something in Kyoya. Jealousy?

Kaoru waited for Kana to introduce Kenji to Kyoya as Bobby and Riku left the house. It wasn't long before they were walking around the winery grounds. Alfredo and Bianca were preparing dinner while the tour was going to be done and while Bobby and Riku were off wondering.

Kaoru listened carefully to the information that Kana and Kenji were giving. They were taking turns talking about he winery. Kana was focused on the history of the Tolemei wine company, while Kenji would impart information about the process of winemaking and how each step was executed.

Kaoru smiled a few times as Kana locked her own gaze with his. There was something about the way she spoke about her family's company that warranted his complete attention. Meanwhile, Kyoya looked just amused enough to have taken the tour in the first place. Kaoru felt his stomach do a flip flop as Kana laughed at something Kyoya said about Rose wines.

When the tour came to its eventual end an hour later, Kana guided them back to the house with Kenji thanking them for their patience. Always one to respond, Kyoya thanked him for all the information, and somewhat jokingly implied that he had everything he needed to start his own wine company. Everyone laughed a little as they stepped into the foyer of the Tolemei mansion. Kana was about to cross into the kitchen when Bobby came storming out one of the doors and up the stairs. She was followed closely by Riku who looked back and shot a glare into the room. Kana groaned as she looked at the ceiling.

"Kairi, what did you tell Bobby?" she asked aggravated. Kaoru assumed that this mean that Bobby and Kairi were always at odds. After all, Kana didn't even know who was in the room.

"Nothing that I haven't already said to you." The mirror image of Kenji stepped out of the sitting room. He was dressed in tan slacks and a green sweater, his black hair neatly trimmed. Kaoru could see why Kana referred to him as the practical one. His twin was in jeans and a plaid flannel button up and a t-shirt and his hair was grown out and had the styled shaggy look that everyone seemed to want. No. Kairi was the picture of a proper businessman. Slacks and cardigan with his hair neatly brushed so that not a hair was out of place.

"Well it's not your company," Kana grumbled. "You have the wine company, I have Dream Design. The merger is happening and it's a good idea."

"Business wise, it's brilliant, Kana," Kairi said rolling his eyes. "But you seem to forget that our grandparents are dangerous people and that by doing this, you're jumping into shark infested waters."

Kenji scratched the back of his head. "That's what the Masters are here for," he said. "Kairi, you worry too much. Kana and Kaoru have everything under control, and I'm sure Bobby is more than well aware of the situation and is working towards keeping us away from the grandparents."

Kaoru looked to Kyoya to see him push his glasses up again. He knew he had asked Kyoya for information, but with the way that he and Bobby were both acting at the airport, it seemed like Kyoya may have gotten involved in some way. He wondered what Bobby was doing on her end. Were they helping and Kana just wasn't aware in what way. Kaoru turned his attention back to Kairi and smiled.

"Hello, I'm Kaoru Hitachiin," Kaoru, true to American introductions, held out his hand for a shake. It was a half-hearted attempt to diffuse the tension in the air, but it seemed to work a little bit.

Kairi regarded the hand with a level of wariness before taking it. "Kairi Tolemei. Nice to meet you."

"Pleasure, I won't even hold your choice of schools against you," Kaoru smirked. It was something he failed to understand completely, but Berkeley and Stanford were rivals in just about everything sports related. Berkeley seemed to take the rivalry seriously, and he assumed to some extent that Stanford did too.

"Eh, we've been over this before," Kairi grunted. Kaoru got the impression "We all love each other unless it's big game day."

_A real charmer this one_, Kaoru thought to himself. He continued to smile and gestured to Kyoya. "This is my friend from high school, Kyoya Ootori. He's studying at Harvard."

"Bobby's roommate," Kairi said with a nod. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is mine," Kyoya said simply. "If you'll excuse me, I have to go freshen up before we eat. Whatever your grandparents are making smells delightful."

Kaoru watched Kyoya climb the stairs and disappear before anyone could say a word. Riku came downstairs as Kana glared at Kairi a few seconds later. Obviously, she wasn't ready to forgive him for making her best friend storm off.

"Are you happy?" Riku asked. "Just becuase you're the oldest triplet and get to take over the business side of Tolemei Wine, doesn't mean you get to point out the fact that Bobby stands to inherit nothing from her father. That was rude and tactless. She may not be getting a company when she turns twenty-one, but she has more business sense at thirteen than you do now at eighteen. You owe her an apology."

"She's nosing in where she doesn't belong!" Kairi said.

"She will take over as a Board member when her mother steps down!" Kana yelled. "So yes, she does belong. And you had no right to say that to her!"

Kaoru looked to the stairs and wondered if Kyoya knew that Bobby wasn't going to inherit her father's company. It seemed like the two had a lot in common when it came to their business standpoints. However, Kyoya was determined to take something away from his father's company. Kaoru wondered if Bobby was able to do the same.

Bianca and Alfredo came from the kitchen. "What's all this yelling?" Bianca asked quietly. "Let's tone it down."

"Kairi opened his stupid mouth and insulted Bobby," Kana stated, pointing a stiff finger at her brother.

Alfredo shook his head and pushed Kana's arm down. "Kairi, what have we told you about talking to people like that."

Kairi crossed his arms and stubbornly looked at the ground. "This merger is dangerous."

"No it's not," Bianca said cooly. "I have looked it over many times, consulted with my attorney, the mediator, Yuzuha, and your sister and brother, and this is a good idea. Your mother's parents won't be able to do anything. Now I expect you to apologize to Barbara before you come to dinner. She and her mother have helped Dream Design a lot over the past few years, and you trying to chase her away is unacceptable."

Kairi pouted slightly as he headed for the stairs. Kaoru smiled reassuringly at Kana and Kenji as Biance started ushering them into the dining room with the dishtowel she held.

"Food's almost done, go, go, go," Bianca said.

Kana laughed as she pushed Kaoru forwards a little more. "Grandma made her famous gnocchi."

0o0o0o0

Thanksgiving was a blessing, Kaoru thought as he lounged on his bed and looked at one of his text books. He wasn't really studying, just trying to. He thought that with the free day he would get a lot of work done, but in truth, all he wanted to do was sit in the kitchen and watch Bianca and Alfredo move around as they prepared Thanksgiving dinner. Kaoru had even offered to help, and Bobby, and Kyoya as well. They didn't want to be terrible house guests, and yet, they were sent away with a snap of a dishcloth. The cooking and preparations were to only be handled by the grandparents and no one else.

Bobby had disappeared with Kyoya down to the town. She was going to show him around and take him to some of her favorite shops. Meanwhile, Kana was sitting at Kaoru's desk watching some netflix movie and the twins were down at the warehouse checking on some of the wine that was barreled.

Kana hopped on the bed next to him with her laptop. "You're not really studying are you?"

Kaoru shook his head closing the book. "No,' he groaned. "The house is so warm and it smells so good. I don't know what they're cooking, but it's great."

Kana laughed as she pulled her computer over slightly so that Kaoru could watch. "I'm going to watch a disney movie, is that all right."

"Which one?"

"Mulan. You game?"

It took Kaoru a moment to process the slang. "Yes."

Kana smiled at him as she pressed play. While rolling slightly to get comfortable her shoulder brushed against Kaoru's and she apologized quietly. She didn't look Kaoru's way, but if she had, she would have seen the deep blush on his cheeks.

0o0o0o0

June 10, 2014, Author's Note: Hey friends! I know you're all quite busy with your lives, and so am I. I'm giving you a set of chapters right now, but I'm going to warn you right now of some delays in updating. I leave for a tour of Ireland and England tomorrow. I'll still be writing new chapters, but updating may not happen. The tour is three weeks long. So be patient and you may get many chapters updated when I return. I'll have my laptop, but I'm not really soaking up the culture if I'm constantly updating fic, right? I'll see you all when I get back, and I hope you liked that chapter. Please leave a review if you get a chance. I love to hear from you all.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve:

Kaoru was sitting in the Main Stacks again. It was dead week at UC Berkeley and that meant he either had review classes or no classes at all. Next week would be the start of finals and then Kaoru was on his way back to Japan for the holidays. Hikaru was finishing up with his finals next week as well, and Kaoru couldn't wait to see his twin brother again.

While the two of them had agreed that going to different schools was the best idea, they couldn't deny that there was a missing half when it came to their little devil act. Kaoru always felt like he would always have a response around his brother. There was a mind similar to his, but not exact, and it usually meant that Kaoru found it easier to talk to people when Hikaru was around. He always thought that this was because Hikaru would just jump into things. A conversation, a negotiation, anything Hikaru was the one to talk first. Once Hikaru jumped in, it was like Kaoru could just slip in without a problem. Hikaru made socializing easy. But it was a two way street. Hikaru wouldn't talk to others all that much unless Kaoru was around.

Kaoru looked up from his media studies text book when he heard some shouts, laughs, and giggles. There was the distinct sound of bare feet slapping against the concrete floors. He leaned back in his seat, tipping it back on two feet. His eyes widened when he saw a stampede headed his way.

This wasn't any normal stampede. About fifty young men and women were running down the wide walkway of the main library. Kaoru pulled himself back and buried his face in his arms to hide the creeping blush on his cheeks. Every single one of the runners was completely naked.

He heard the stampede go by and kept his face hidden for a while as he wondered what was wrong with the men and women of UC Berkeley. He was all for a little fun in college, but this was just… odd. Why would you want to run through a library naked? Granted, Main Stacks was apparently the number one place to hook up, though, he wondered how that was even possible. Did they just find the most obscure topic in the library and hope that no one came their way? He just didn't understand.

"It's the naked run," someone whispered as he felt a hand land on his head. The hand ruffled his hair and he heard the person sigh. "Ready to go home?"

Kaoru looked up and found Kana crouching down next to him. She was smiling. She held her cell phone in her hand and glanced around. Kaoru glanced around and saw that for the first time in weeks he wasn't being followed by Jasmine Chevalier.

"I think she's doing something for the Sorority," Kana said. She stood up and adjusted her bag and glanced around. "I was about to head back to the city. I mean I know that the library is open all night, but I have no intention of staying here another minute. I even brought Riku's car for today. I can give you a ride home."

Kaoru closed his book. He hadn't actually been studying for a few hours. He had actually just gotten an email from Kyoya about Tamaki wanting to do some sort of Host Club Reunion on Christmas Eve. He asked Kaoru if they had any intentions of joining in the blond's fun. Kaoru had been thinking about it. He would actually enjoy time with the Host Club no matter what. He was going to talk to Hikaru about it and maybe see if this would be an opportunity for them to meet Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai's girlfriends.

Kaoru blinked a couple times as he nodded, coming back to the real world where Kana was offering him a ride back to the city. "I'd like that."

Kana laughed slightly. "I know that look. I lost you to some other thought." She adjusted her shoulder bag slightly and winced at the heavy weight on her shoulder. "That's it, I'm switching to a backpack. I can't handle the weight on my shoulders."

"Why do you think I bought that new backpack the other day," Kaoru smiled. He slipped his books into his bag and pushed away from the long study table. For some reason, he found the long study tables much more enjoyable because then he was surrounded by people, but they never spoke. There was some sort of silent camaraderie among panicked students during finals season. "Can we go?"

Kana nodded and headed for the elevator. There was something about carrying heavy things up stairs that made it worse. Like the object suddenly gained an extra ten pounds. She glanced over her shoulder to see that Kaoru was following her. "So do you have plans with the Host Club for when you go back for break?"

"Yeah, I'm going to meet Hani-senpai and Mori-senpai's girlfriends when we get together. Then they'll meet you when you come to Japan. It's too bad that Bobby and Faye won't be able to come. Hikaru says that the two of them have New Years plans already in the UK. Something about going to Wales and Ireland."

Kana nodded. "Bobby makes a point to go to Ireland as much as possible. Luckily, once she gets into Wales, she catches a three-hour ferry to Dublin and hangs out there and comes back to London when she's ready to. I would join her if I didn't have to be in Japan for the new year. It's usually a fun little adventure for her, but I haven't been able to do the journey yet due to the fact that I always had to go straight back to school. Now I have the time, but the merger is more important. I can always join her later."

"I'm sorry you have to miss it. It sounds fun."

"Messing with my grandparents seems to be more entertaining. Plus, I'll get to meet your brother," Kana laughed. She stepped into the elevator. "This is going to be the first time I've been back to Japan since I left it as a toddler. I plan to enjoy myself."

"I'll show you all around," Kaoru said. "I'll take you to Kyoto, Tokyo Tower, all of the tourist stuff. I mean if that's what you want to do. How long are you going to stay in Tokyo?"

"A week," Kana answered. "I'm going to be dog tired though, so I have to be careful about how much I do. The bright side is that after this, I'll be able to visit Japan whenever I please without my grandparents doing anything." She looked up at the fluorescent lighting of the elevator and smiled.

"Did you ever find out what Bobby and Kyoya were doing to help?"

Kana shook her head and bit the inside of her cheek. "They planned something and have been working in the background, but I can't figure it out at all. It's strange. I used to be able to find out what Bobby was doing without problem, but because she's working with Kyoya, I've been locked out."

"Just let them help in the background. It might help us even more."

"But then how do I know what they helped with?"

Kaoru shrugged as they started making their way out of the library. Kaoru watched as several students were in a state of perpetual panic. They would jump if someone bumped into them. They had bloodshot eyes showing severe sleep deprivation. This was the look of procrastination more than anything. Though, he would admit that there were some majors where if you didn't study every hour of every day, you wouldn't make it past the semester. Kana always had to read, but she seemed to process information quickly so he never really saw her panic about her classes, even when she had four essays due on the same day next week. She looked the picture of serenity, and Kaoru wished he could feel that way. He knew he could handle the work, but there was still so much to cover. Luckily he didn't have any days where he had two finals. They were all even with one final a day.

"Worried about your finals?" Kaoru asked.

Kana nodded. "There's a lot to cover. I think I've got it all down, but still first finals season, I feel a little sick and want it over as soon as possible."

"Are you coming down with something?"

Kana shook her head. "No, I'm sick from nerves. I finished all my essays, but the identifications and written in class finals have me all... blah."

"Blah?" Kaoru asked with a smirk.

Kana laughed. "I know, pretty vague."

0o0o0o0

Later that night, Kaoru sat on his bed staring at his laptop screen. Hikaru was on the other end of a Skype call. "We'll both be in Japan soon." Hikaru told him.

"Yeah, it feels like it's been forever," Kaoru smiled. "How's the studying going for your finals?"

"Pretty good. Simple, easy, there's a lot, but I know I can get it done," Hikaru answered with a shrug. "What about you?"

"I was studying in the library, but I've decided to now avoid that area during dead week and finals."

"Why?"

"It's traditional to gather in a large group and run through the library naked."

"That's sounds... interesting," Hikaru supplied.

"Kana had to explain it, otherwise, I would have assumed I was hallucinating."

"You should get some sleep."

"I'm going to. I just wanted to talk to you," Kaoru said yawning. "How's Faye?"

"Good. She's actually here right now."

Kaoru did some quick math and his brows furrowed together. "Did she spend the night?"

Hikaru shook his head, looking almost appalled. "No! She showed up at nine so we can get breakfast together before she leaves for London on Saturday. We both have early finals and work to get done, so we both agreed to get together today, have a small breakfast date, and then spend the rest of the week studying. I'm going to take her to the train station on Saturday, but that'll be the last time I see her until I make my way back to Paris."

"I'm sorry I won't get to meet her," Kaoru sighed. "Kana has nothing but praise for her. Now that the connections are obvious, Kana talks about her friends more."

Hikaru muttered something incoherent. "You used to like the mystery that surrounded Kana, now she's being open. Isn't that going to change things between the two of you?"

Kaoru leaned back and thought about that. Was Kana being more open? Sure. But there were still things about her that he didn't know. She didn't talk about growing up with her parents. She never talked about her parents' death. He wondered sometimes if she didn't talk about it because she was always saddened by the fact that her parents had missed so much of her life. She said that this merger would honor her parents, but every time she said something of that sort, she would get this sad glimmer in her eye.

"I don't think she tells me everything. We're closer, but not that close. I know there are things she isn't telling me. Like her family. I think she is just being open about her friendships. Nothing else. She won't explain why Kairi hates Bobby or how she knows some of the things she knows. I imagine she has a new pipeline that makes major networks look like chump change."

Hikaru snickered and shook his head. "I gotta go. I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Kaoru nodded and bid his brother good-bye before he closed his laptop. He yawned and looked towards his bedroom. Going to bed sounded like a really good idea. He stood up and stretched and thought about Kana, wondering if she was still up. He shook his head. Kana had a strict bedtime that when she broke it, she paid for it the next day. Kana was a girl who had to have at least six hours of sleep in order for her to be at a functioning level, eight hours would be required if you wanted to have Kana at her best. He smiled when he realized that he now knew Kana's basic needs and desires. In the grand scheme of things, wasn't that what mattered?


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen:

Kaoru stirred only slightly as the winter sun started to peek through the heavy curtains of his bedroom. He groaned as he felt the bed shift slightly. Hikaru was waking up. After a night spent talking in depth about their weirdly intricate college lives, they ended up losing track of the conversation until they were both stupidly tired and falling asleep in the wee hours of the morning.

Kaoru slowly opened up his eyes and felt around the bed for his phone. He picked up a phone and stared at the case for a moment before powering up the screen. Faye was smiling with her camera in hand. He dropped the phone near his brother who swept it up quickly and slid Kaoru's phone towards him.

"You missed a call from Kana," Hikaru said.

Kaoru sat up finally with a groan and ran a hand through his hair. He unlocked his phone and listened to the voicemail, focusing all of his attention on the call instead of how tired he still felt.

_Hey Kaoru. I hope you made it to Japan all safe and well. I just arrived in London. I met up with Faye and apparently we're going on some sort of tourist adventure with the Masters twins. They have some epic adventure planned. It sounds so awesome, I almost wish you and Hikaru were here to enjoy it with us. Give me a call when you can. Stay warm, and I'll see you in a few days._

Kaoru smiled dropping his phone next to him on the bed. Hikaru looked at him and smirked. "You like her don't you?" he pressed, leaning forward curiously. The older twin cocked his head to the side after a minute of silence, his smirk now pulling at the very edges of his cheeks. With a shrug he lifted his arms above him and stretched as he let out a long yawn. "Well I suppose I can share you with Kana. But I won't know for sure until I meet her in a few days. I may decide she isn't worthy of you."

Kaoru only gave his twin a pointed look, refusing to admit that he did indeed like Kana and wanted more than their playful friendship. He did really enjoy what they had going and it was more a fear of what would change in their relationship if he were to admit those feelings he had. He had already forfeited his feelings for Haruhi when he didn't want to risk he relationship with his brother. While his relationship with Hikaru wasn't in any danger in this case, there certainly was a sense that a relationship with Kana would change things.

"You're thinking about her, aren't you?" Hikaru asked. "What did you get her for Christmas? Her family is Catholic, right?"

Kaoru nodded. "Lapsed Catholic," he answered. "I got her some expensive paper that she could use with her book binding. She offhandedly mentioned one day that she was running low, so I asked Mom to help me find a place that sold nice paper for her to use."

"What would she get you?" Hikaru asked with a smirk, wondering if Kana knew him well enough to know that Kaoru was always content with colored pencils to sketch out dress designs.

"I shook the box. It sounds like a multitude of things. I can't be sure," Kaoru answered with a shrug. He yawned, as there was a knock on the door. Their mother poked her head into the room as she opened the door only slightly. "Oh good you're awake. I was about to tell your father that we should have breakfast without you. Then he suggested that I come and check. I'm sure you're bother tired still, but it's a brand new day and we've got a lot to discuss about our fabulous party."

The twins nodded and told their mother that they would be down in a couple minutes. They needed to change out of their dirty wrinkled clothes and make sure they were at least somewhat presentable at the table. Even if it was pajamas with a comb run haphazardly through their red hair. They slowly crawled out of bed, and Hikaru ventured to his own room to grab fresh clothes as Kaoru moved to his walk-in closet.

Walk-in closet was a bit of an understatement. His closet was pretty much an entire room. He had everything he would need for any occasion. He had clothes for a yacht club, he had tuxedos for formal events, he had suits for more casual affairs, and he had more casual clothes than the average male. He could comfortably dress in a different outfit, every day of the year if he chose to do so. He wouldn't trade his closet at home for anything. Well, he would maybe consider it if he could find out how Kana thought about him.

He grabbed a baggy pair of pajama bottoms that were made from a comfortable high quality flannel. After he grabbed a grey t-shirt he walked into the bathroom and turned on the faucet.

Ten minutes later he was following his brother into the kitchen with a yawn. He stretched before bring a hand down to scratch the back of his head. "What's for… Break… fast?" he forced out with another yawn.

Yuzuha smiled and gestured at the large fare in front of her two boys. "Have a look, grab what you want. What you don't eat, we're going to take to the woman's shelter when we're done," she explained.

The table was covered in hot plates that kept the breakfast warm and fresh. Kaoru always loved that his mother believed in helping those less fortunate. She would donate her time at woman's shelters, helping them with interview outfits for jobs, and she would do their makeup. Come the holidays, the entire family donated toys and helped out with food. While they played up the opulence, they still made time to help. At least their mother did.

0o0o0o0

Kana yawned as she followed Faye around Covent Garden. "Why are we doing this again?" she asked.

"Because every time you come to London we only stay at the house," Faye answered with a laugh. "Buck up. You gotta fight the jetlag."

"I'm sorry I journeyed eight hours ahead of my normal time zone."

"Japan is sixteen hours ahead of your normal time zone. How will you possibly manage?" Faye asked. She looked around all of the vendors and jumped up a few times trying to get a better view. She smiled sheepishly when a man in a suit and tie coughed and shuffled the papers of his newspaper, giving her a pointed look. "I can't find her."

"She's probably sleeping somewhere dark," Kana said. "Like I should be."

"She napped," Faye said leaving the unspoken "Unlike you" hang in the air.

"How hard can it be to find ahead of bright red hair?" Kana groaned. "The guys are going to win if this continues."

"If what continues?" a voice asked.

Kana and Faye both jumped and turned around to find Bobby wrapped up in a peacoat and a grey scarf. Her long red hair was hidden in a black cap, except for her long fringe. She smiled and held out a cup holder with white cups. "I got hot chocolate."

Kana sighed and shook her head, taking a cup. "I hate when you do that," she said shivering. She took a sip of the hot beverage and let out a content sigh. "The boys are probably winning."

Bobby shook her head. "Nah, they're still trying to find Spencer at Trafalgar Square. Seriously, how could you miss my twin right next to the Nelson's Column? Your fellow triplets aren't nearly as clever as you some days, Kana."

Faye giggled. "I'd love to see Kairi's reaction to the giant blue rooster that on the plinth," she said. She took some hot chocolate and looked around. "Were to next?" she asked.

"You're on your way to Tower Bridge," Bobby said. "Tower Hill is the stop you want. I recommend making the trek to Leicester Square. Take the northern line two stops down to Embankment; grab the district or circle like to Tower Hill. I'll walk with you to the tube station and ride the Northern line with you, but I'm afraid you're on your own after that."

"You're not coming with."

"Alas Spencer and I have to go to the London Eye to meet you for our night time ride. That's the Waterloo Underground station. Ride the District or Circle line back to embankment and grab the northern line down to Waterloo."

"Can you just text that too me?" Kana asked after a minute of silence.

Bobby smiled and shook her head. "Check your email."

"Who are we meeting at Tower Hill?" Faye asked.

"My uncle."

Faye and Kana exchanged panicked glances before Bobby shook her head and laughed. "The nice uncle," she amended. "You know, the one who is giving me his company."

"Oh thank god," Kana muttered. "I don't think I could handle Lord Masters right now."

"I can never hand Lord Misogynist." Faye mumbled. She clutched her hot chocolate tightly.

"Well we're lucky he married a Lady and decided to leave the rest of us alone this Holiday season. Best Christmas Present ever." Bobby looked at her buzzing phone and gestured for the two first year college students to follow her. "We have to go. Spencer just texted. They found him."

"Shoot!" Kana yelped. She turned around hopelessly in the middle of Covent Garden before Bobby pointed behind her. "This way."

Kana and Faye shuffled after Bobby. "So what did you get Kaoru for Christmas?"

"Really good sketch pencils and design paper bound into a book form I made," Kana answered. "Do you think he'll like it?"

Faye nodded. "Better than what I got for Hikaru," she said dismayed.

"Hikaru is completely infatuated with you," Bobby said. "Whatever you got him, he'll love."

"You haven't even met him!" Faye said blushing. She looked at the ground as she turned her cup in her hands. "I got a scrapbook of photos I collected at the Fashion Show and after party."

"That's actually… really thoughtful, Faye," Bobby said with a smile as she turned and started walking backwards. She tossed her empty cup into a nearby wastebasket and turned back around. "Talley ho!"

Kana shook her head. She often times wondered how she could have ended up with the support structure that she had. Faye and Bobby had fallen into her lap so to speak. She never had to worry about making new friends because even when an ocean and eight time zones separated Bobby and Faye, she could always call them and they would pick up. Bobby once told her that Kana had the most obnoxious ringtone she could find, just so it would wake her up from a dead slumber. Faye wouldn't admit to the same, but she had called Faye a few times in order to find the blonds cell phone, and she hurt the chicken dance play every single time. Knowing that Faye hated the song, Kana could only guess that the song was annoying enough to wake Faye up.

Faye started laughing at something that Bobby exclaimed in Irish as she tripped over a bit of curb. Bobby continued to mumble to herself as they quickly approached the tube station. Her friends were the best and Kana wouldn't change that for the world. Sure her brothers were always there, but there was something different about having girlfriends around to keep you centered. She could talk about the boys they likes and about things that men simply didn't understand.

"So, when are you going to tell Kaoru that you like him?" Bobby asked, slipping out of her brooding.

"When are you going to admit that you have feelings for Kyoya?" Faye countered.

Kana laughed happy to have the attention off of her, but she couldn't stop her cheeks from turning a deep red.

She knew that she really liked Kaoru, but she told herself that admitting it now would be bad news. With so much happening business wise, she didn't want to have a relationship become the rumor mill for their merger. She wanted it to be because it was the way things were supposed to be when her mom and Yuzuha made the plan in high school.

"I think the two of you should have a new year's kiss," Faye said suddenly. When Kana gave her a look she shrugged and gave Kana a look that said 'I'm not suggesting something', but the glimmer in her eye was just like her cousins. "In the name of the merger."

"Right. The merger," Bobby said. Kana almost didn't hear the "Of families," that Bobby muttered as she started skipping down the stairs to the trains.

0o0o0o0

Author's Note: Sorry for any delays. I've moved into a new place, my hard drive had to be replaced, and school started but I've had chapters just sitting in my document folder. I have a chapter for every story done, but am working on edits. I hope you enjoyed this little bit, and if you did, leave a review if you can, favorite the story if you can't.

Spirit


End file.
